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AC Exclusive: ESCOM Dies, The Amiga Lives!
Compression
C»Ml» n^Mted spac«
on-th®*fly!
Make Do
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Cin@mGHD Animatio
Discover the versatility of this Amig
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Q17AL77T
QU/CKLY
UIKPAK
I'hone 610-666-8080 FAX 610-666-8086
1000 Forge Avenue, Norrislown, Pcnnsvlvania 19403
To: Amazing Computing/Amiga Readers
From: David A. Ziembicl<i
CEO-QuikPak Corporation
Re: Amiga Update
I am happy to announce ttnat the A1200 NTSC is back. We began shipping
on schedule and have sold out of our first run. More are on the way and should be
available in mid-August. I have also seen several impressive load-and-go Web
browsers and believe that the A1200 will emerge as a viable Internet machine.
Check with your dealer for the latest delivery information on the new batch.
QuikPak, along with several of the third party developers and through the
efforts of Keith Cagle of Virtual Reality Productions, has made arrangements for 3
A4000T's (one with the new 68060 SOIVlhz accelerator installed) to be available for
use at the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta, These towers are fully
equipped with Video Toasters and Flyers provided by New Tek, software from
various sources, and are available in the journalist's video suite for demonstration
and use by videographers (as well as the athletes) from around the world. We
believe that the Olympics will provide an unparalleled showcase for the Amiga.
When the Games are completed, video footage, processed by the Amiga, should
become available from Keith at Virtual Reality (phone 770-591-9426),
We are also announcing (as mentioned above) the availability of the 68060
50 IVlhz accelerator. This product dramatically improves the performance of the
A4000T along with allowing for high speed EDO RAM expansion of up to 128MB!
Contact your local Amiga dealer for a demo of this lightning fast accessory.
Last, but certainly not least, we are following the ESCOM, Amiga Technolo-
gies, VlScorp developments almost hourly. At last check, reports indicate that the
definitive agreement is in place for VIScorp's purchase of Amiga Technologies, and
all needed approvals from ESCOM's liquidator and banks have been secured, with
final deal closing due in mid-August. We all hope that this chapter of the Amiga
story will now be closed. Stay tuned for new developments.
k--
1
UJhei
e to find the
flmigo!
The Computer Image
Centennial Video Systems
Thalner Electronic Labs
Birmingham, AL
205-933-8970
Miami, FL 305-633-2200
Ann Arbor, Ml 313-761-4506
Pro Music, Inc.
Creative Equipment, Intl.
Computer Link, Inc.
Fairbanks. AK
907-456-1994
Miami. FL 305-266-2800
Garden City, Ml 313-522-6005
The Micro Shop, Inc.
Miami Picture & Sound Company
Slipped Disk
Little Rock, AR
501-568-8023
Miami. FL 305-666-4055
Madison Heights. Ml 810-546-3475
Softwood, Inc.
Access Media Group
Spectrum Computer Product
Phoenix, A2
800-247-8314
North Palm Beach, FL 407-845-2379
Prudenvilie, Ml 517-366-8569
Troxell Communications, Inc.
Computer Video Associates
Alpha Video
•
Phoenix, AZ
602-437-7240
Pinellas Park. FL 813-576-5242
Edina, MN 800-388-0008
' J(
Wentek
Apogee Technologies
AN Solutions
■m
Scottsdale. AZ
602.483-7200
Sarasota, FL 813-355-6121
SI. Paul, MN 612-698-1175
Hank Winter & Associates
Discount Computer Sales
Raymond Commodore Amiga
Hi
Tucson, AZ
520-888-2040-
Sunrise. FL 954-797-9402
SI- Paul, MH 612-642-9890
Transdata Systems Co., Ltd.
Audio Video Design, Inc.
Valiant, Inc.
Anaheim, CA
714-630-8711
West Palm Beach, FL407-966-3565
Stillwater, MN 612-439-6743
iriL. ,1 "
Connecting Point
Showcase Video
Data Grafix
"mm
Calabasas, CA
818-222-3822
Atlanta, GA 404-325-7676
Springlield. MO 417-882-1899
Visionsoft
ACS Computer & Video
VIP Systems, Inc.
Carmel, CA
408-626-2633
Norcross, GA 770-263-9190
Chapel Hill, NO 919-968-9477
Concord Computer Solutions
Hawkeye Communications
Magic Page Products
Concord, CA
510-680-0143-
Coralville, lA 319-354-3354
Winston-Salem, NC 910-785-3695
Computer Gates
Computer Advantage
Amicom Computer Technology
,_
Costa Mesa, CA
714-444-4232
Des Moines, 1 A 51 5-252-61 67
Omaha, NE 402-556-6160
Century Systems
Commodore Computer Center
System Eyes Computer Store
La Habra, CA
310-697-6977
Boise, ID 208-342-3401
Merrimack, NH 603-424-1188
MS'" "-^
The Lively Computer
Maxximum Video Creations
Sir Render A/V
"*>^..
La Mesa, CA
619-589-9455
Boise. ID 208-322-3091
Mays Landing, NJ 609-625-0472
HT Electronics
Blackroch Computers Plus
KBI Systems
Milpitas. CA
408-934-7700
PocatellO, ID 208-232-0012
Mountainside, NJ 908-654-3600
Applied Computer Systems
Digital World
Integrated Teknologies, Inc.
m
North Highlands. CA
916-338-2000
Addison. IL 708-543-9000
Roselle, NJ 908-245-1313
TS Computers
Trend Port U.S.
Amiga Lynx Network Co.
■^
North Hollywood, CA 818-760-4445
Algonquin, IL 708-854-9671
Saddle Brook, NJ 201-368-01 53
Alex Electronics
MicroTech Solutions
Electro-Tech
Paradise, CA
916-872-0896
Aurora, IL 708-851-3033
Las Vegas, NV 702-435-3201
■ '
La Bine Productions
Micro-PACE, Inc.
Mystical Rose Software & System
Riallo. CA
909-355-9756
Champaign, IL 217-356-1884
Buffalo, NY 716-893-3632
Wave Systems
Select Solutions
The Microworks
San Diego, CA
619-495-9283
Champaign, IL 800-322-1261
Buffalo, NY 716-873-1856
TGGH Inc.
Ring Video Systems
Mr. Hardware
». '•■■
San Jose, CA
408-977-7030
Riverside, IL 708-442-0009
Central Islip, NY 51 6-234-81 1
•Klba'
Sur-Tech
Keyboard Studio
Microbyte Computers & Video
Santa Clara, CA
408-496-6664
Urbana, IL 217-328-3975
ChurchvillG, NY 716-293-3365
Megagem
Digital Arts
Area 52, Inc.
Santa Maria, CA
805-349-1104
Bloomington, IN 812-330-0124
Coram, NY 516-476-1615
Anti Gravity Products
R.C. Instruments
Amigo Business Computers
Santa Monica. CA
310-393-9747
Cicero, IN 317-984-9400
East Northporl, NY 516-757-7334
Amiga Exchange
CPU Inc.
Better Concepts, Inc.
Torrance. CA
310-534-3187
Indianapolis, IN 317-577-3677
Garnerville, NY 914-786-1711
Compuhelp Computers
Desktop Video Systems
Armato's Pro Video
Van Nuys, CA
818-901-0280
Lenexa, KS 913-782-8888
Glendale, NY 718-628-6800
The Computer Room
Mission Electronics, Inc.
Revels-Bey Music
Aurora, CO
303-696-8973
Lenexa, KB 913-894-8480
Hempstead, NY 516-565-9404
H
Davis Audio-Visual, Inc.
Video Lab
One Man and a Dream Productions
•9
Denver, CO
303-455-1122
Shawnee, KS 913-631-0045
Jamaica, NY 917-427-8722
<fll
Softown, Inc.
Smith Audio Visual, Inc.
CTL Electronics
-l
Danbury, CT
203-797-8080
Topeka, KS 913-235-3481
NewYork,NY 21 2-233-0754
Computer Source
Expert Services
Tri-State Camera, Inc.
>%<Kk»,
Fairfield, CT
203-336-3100
Florence, KY 606-371-9690*
New York, NY 212-633-2290
Derrick Electronics
Icon Computers & Software
Seismic Business Systems
Hamden, CT
203-248-7227
Bridgewater, MA 508-697-6060
Poughkeepsie, NY 914-462-4518
-. ... . .
Videology
Crimson Tech
T.J.'s Unlimited
Newtown, CT
203-270-9000
Cambridge, MA 617-868-5150
Rochester, NY 716-225-5810
Infotronics
The Camera Company
Copperhead Technologies
Woodbury, CT
203-253-5350
Norwood, MA 617-769-7810
Schenectady.NY 51 8-346-3894
DeVine Computer Sales
Kipp Visual Systems
Tronix Micro Systems
Newark, DE
302-738-9046
Baltimore, MD 410-732-5870-
Sloan, NY 716-668-8176
Encore Computer Corporation
Kipp Visual Systems
Paxtron Corporation
Ft. Lauderdale, FL
954-587-2900
Gaithersburg, MD 301-670-7906'
Spring Valley, NY 914-578-6522
Eagle Computers & Video
EMH Systems
Software Link, Inc.
Melbourne, FL
407-951-9732
Auburn, ME 207-784-2048
White Plains, NY 914-683-2512
Harddrivers Co.
Amiga Crossing
Bartha Visual, Inc.
Merrit Island, FL
. ,**! TT^r — ■
407-453-5805
Cumberland, ME 207-829-3959
Columbus, OH 614-291-4585
■- ^ ■— " :,^-- . -^^J?7^
.j|tS°j8^_--
513-435-0134
419-424-0903
21 6-233-4000
541-752-5654
541-773-8868-
Compuquick Media Center
Columbus, OH 614-235-1180
Neather Realm Software
Cuyahoga Falls. OH 216-928-1738
Weingarten Gallery
Dayton, OH
B&J Video Systems
Findlay. OH
Industrial Video, Inc.
Lorain. OH
Penguin Music Store #3
Toledo, OH 419-882-0961
Magix Computer Products
Tulsa. OK 918-459-2500
Media Graptiics & Design
Beaverton. OR 503-649-0709
Clackamas Computers
Clackamas. OR 503-650-0379
Magic Box, Inc.
Corvallis. OR
The User's Corner
Medford. OR
Digital F/X, Inc.
North Bend, OR 541-756-6693
SevMer Computer Systems
Porlland, OR 503-288-2016
Computer Users
Springfield. OR 541-726-8500
Computer Discount Center
Erie. PA 814-899-6437
New York Camera & Video
Feasterviile, PA 215-322-9743
British Magazine DIst., Inc.
Hermitage, PA 412-962-1218
The Lerro Corporation
Norrislown. PA 610-650-4100
CDR Systems
Pittsburgh. PA 412-351-1700
Mega Bytes
Pittsburgh. PA 412-653-9050
J&C Repair
Rockton. PA 814-583.5838
Electronic Connection
West Reading, PA 610-372-1010
Kasara Microsystems
Hilton Head, SC 803-842-5058
Via Video Interaction
Knoxville. TN 423-687-4328
Opus 2 Audio & Video
Memphis. TN 901-684-5467
Computer Ease
Corpus Christi. TX 51 2-882-2275
Metropolitan Computer Products
Dallas, TX 214-702-9119
On Video, Inc.
Dallas, TX
Microsearch
Houston. TX
Computer Wise, Inc.
Logan. UT
Digltechnix
Blue Ridge. VA 540-982-1672
Dewberry's Computers & Supplies
Danville. VA 804-799-0502
HHH Enterprises
Hartwood. VA 540-752-2100
Whitlock Group, The
Richmond, VA 804-273-9100
Spectral Multimedia, Inc.
Bellevue. WA 206-451-4075
Amiga Northwest Studio
Bothell. WA 206-488-5664
Computer Concepts
Bothell. WA 206-481-3666
MS Digital
Edmonds. WA 206-742-7051
Tape Duplication Supply
Kent, WA 206-852-1074
214-406-9292
713-988-2818
801-752-2500
Productive Computer Systems
Kirkland. WA 206-820-6440
Envision PC Consulting
Lynnwood, WA 206-469-6775
Omni International Trading
Seattle, WA 206-217-0807
Zipperware
Seattle, WA 206-223-1 1 07
The Great Escape
Spokane, WA 509-928-4244'
JW's Lil Shoppe
Walla Walla, WA 509-525-5582
Camera Corner, Inc.
Green Bay, Wl 414-435-5353
Images in Motion, Inc.
Waukesha, Wl 414-798-9400
Safe Harbor
Waukesha, Wl 800-544-6599
Taylor Pro Audio / Video
Wauwatosa. Wl 414-778-0944
Computer & Supply Co., Inc.
Charleston, WV 304-345-3490
CANADA
Computer Shop of Calgary, Ltd.
Calgary, AB 403-243-4356
DayKris Corporation
Didsbury, AB 403-335-4448
A 1 Computers
Edmonton. AB 403-448-0632
Software Supermart
Edmonton. AB 403-425-0691
Desktop Computing
Red Deer, AB 403-342-4444
TVI Interactive Systems, Inc.
Burnaby, BC 604-298-5657
VFX Video, Inc.
Richmond. BC 604-244-3000
Richmond Sound Design, Ltd.
Vancouver. BC 604-664-5860
J.L. Fotovideo Camera Ctrs.
Winnipeg, MB 204-475-8730
Corey's Computing
Winnipeg, MB 204-654-3194
Interactive Computer Sys., Ltd.
Frederlcton, NB 506-458-8858
Young Monkey Studio
Frederlcton, NB 506-459-7088
Animax Multimedia, Inc.
Dartmouth, NS 902-468-2629
Simply Software
Greenwood. NS 902-765-2534
Atlantis Kobetek, Inc.
Halifax, NS 902-422-6556
Legendary Design Technologies
Brantford, ON 519-753-6120
The Game Guru
Chatham, ON 519-354-7882
The Computer & You
Etobicoke. ON 41 6-231 -0205
Forest Diskasaurus
Forest. ON 519.786-2454
Visual Vision
Georgetown, ON 905-873-4959
Videomation Media Corp.
Gloucester. ON 613-567-1974
J.L, Fotovideo Camera Ctrs.
Hamilton. Or^J 905-575-3000
Altair Electronics, Ltd.
Kingston, ON 613-384-3876
Zen Computing
Leamington. ON 519-322-5893
D.F. Technologies
London. ON 519-439-3181
Media innovations
London. ON 519-434-3210
Cancom Audio Visual Inc.
Markham, ON 905-470-0466
Computer Express, Inc.
Mississauga. ON 905-672-5595
Amazing Software & Accessories
Mitchell. ON 519-393-6270
Amiga North
North Bay, ON 705-495-3605
APIX Systems
North York. ON 41 6-750-9309
National Amiga Canada
Oakville, ON 905-845-1949
Sascom Marketing Group, inc.
Oakviile, ON 905-469-8080
Media Direct
Orillia, ON 705-327-7583
CinePeal Pro Video
Ottawa, ON 613-798-8150
Valley Soft
Pembroke, ON 613-732-7700
Atlas Computers & Consulting
Sudbury, ON 705-522-1923
OBY's Amigo Computing Shop
Sudbury, ON 705-524-5826
Electronics 2000
Thunder Bay. ON 807-577-1759
Filer-Tel Electronics
Thunder Bay, ON 807-622-0100
Comspec Communications
Toronto, ON 416-785-3553
Videolink, Canada
Toronto. ON 416-690-1690
Randomize Computers
Tottenham. ON 905-939-8371
AFE Electronics
Winchester, ON 613-938-0758
Centre Maxi-Mini
Amos, QU 819-732-6464
Intormatique Richard Lamond
Lac Des 1 6 lies, QU 51 4-226-7506
Gfx Base Electronics
LaSalle. QU 514-367-2575
Electromike, Inc.
Quebec. QU 418-681-4138
Le Groupe Powerland
Rosemere. QU 514-893-6296
info Plus
Trois-Rivieres. QU 819-373-0894
AIDPME- AMIGA
Vanier. QU 418-688-4646
JAPAN
System Compbac. Inc.
Tokyo
81-3383-7868
NEW ZEALAND
Community Communications
Christchurch 64-3384-5024
PI
JTJTi Interactive
Makall City
63-2844-5731
r
Want To Be A Dealer?
For Information on becoming a dealer of
the Amiga, please contact tiie following
distributors:
Micro-Pace
Ctiampaign, IL 21 7 356 1 884
Software Hut
Philadelphia, PA 610-586-5704
Creative Equipment
Miami. FL 305-266-2800
mazm
■^
^AMIGA.
f. 1 -^ v^_?
AtvUNETSETo. P
Cb'-KOivi Giophlc Collections
P.12
iP'!^"!^^^
^^ fc^
fet w^
■p,.' -"
:- ml
Cinema4D Tutorial, P.20
^'Jh^r.', ^S('£r ^^C5^
-i -,i-,jj.- -:
'^^•'^
■■-.-; -77
£■■« jk;5™:. &„
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" i Es ?rJ r,;r;
Powerpacker 4.3, P.36
Making Do With What You Got, P.48
9 New Products
& Other neat stuff
New Amiga business software, a new
Aminet collection, and the Amiga is seen
working at the Olympics!
12 The Not At All Complete
Graphics CD-ROM Compila-
tion Digest
by R. Shamms Mortier
There is a world of possibilities in every
graphic CD-ROM.
20 Cinema4D Animation
Tutorial: Part 1
In/ R. Sluinmtf Mortier
Although AC will stick to the basics, don't
think that Cinema4D is capable of
anything less than a professional
application. Cinema4D is capable of
Keyframe, path, hierachical, tn\'erse
kinematic, and special FX (explosions,
melts, and more).
27 On Line
hi/ Rob Hai/s
Frustrated with your attempt to connect to
the Web? Try a trip to Miami!
32 Web Typesetting, Part 6:
Reading Form Data
b>/ Ramdy Finch
Catching user information from your web
site.
36 This Old Workbench, Part 3
Compression on the Amiga.
b}/ Dave Mntthrd's
Create needed space on your Amign on-the-fly.
48 Make Do
With What You Got
b\i R. SImmms Mortier
In art or in life, it is not always how much
you have, but what you do with it.
l]\m
mCftrnxjiaK iitmti tOip
The Amiga Sale #2
ESCOM Dies
The Amiga
Lives!
Undaunted by a perilous
ESCOM bankruptcy, VIScorp
executives flew to Germany and
pulled Amiga Technologies
from the grip of the ESCOM
trustees and clearly saved the
Amiga platform from certain
death.
Now hear the behind
the scene story from the two
main characters, Petro
Tyschtschenko of the soon-to-be-
dismnntled Amiga Technologies
and Bill Buck of the newly
charged Amiga oriented
VIScorp. —Page 42.
GOLD FROM 1990?
What docs this array of
equipment from 1990 ha\'e to do
with current events? The Amiga's
influence is continually being felt.
Page — 4
DEPARTMENTS
Editorial ^ ' "''' ■■ 4
FeedBack 6
Index of Advertisers 40,
iai Co
Escom dies and
VlScorp saves the Amiga,
while we take a minute to remember
what an Olympic performer the Amiga is!
Last month I bemoaned the fact that this
is summer and the living should be easy.
Well folks, as the old saying goes, the
hits just keep on coming.
VlScorp Rescues the Amiga
Anyone who has been following
this column knows that the future of the
Amiga has been an up hill battle for
some time. The latest engagement in this
war was successful!)' fought by VlScorp
executives as they rescued the Amiga
from the dying grasp of ESCOM,
It appears that ESCOM was not
completely accurate with their losses and
the figure continued to grow with each new
calculation. The immediate remedy for this
situation in Germany is to place the
company in bankruptcy and see what can
be salvaged.
This occurred only days after VlScorp
had finally come to an agreement with the
management of ESCOM on the buy out of
Amiga Technologies. VlScorp believed that,
since they had a deal, the deal should go
through. But to make that happen, VlScorp
executives were forced to board a plane to
Germany and spend the next several weeks
chasing the matter through the hands of
ESCOM, its banks, and the trustees.
To many Amiga hands, this sounds
way too familiar. With the long drawn out
fight over Commodore's assets still fresh in
all of our minds, it does not take a sooth-
sayer to know that if the situation was to
repeat itself, the Amiga's days would be
numbered. But, VlScorp was aware of the
problems too and used the leverage of the
completed deal with ESCOM to get the
trustees to agree to a new deal. As of July
19, the Amiga belongs to VlScorp. VlScorp
will rename Amiga Technologies and
continue production and development.
Recently, f had an opportunity to
speak with VIScorp'sCEO, Bill Buck,
concerning the problems and promises of
the new venture. Mr. Buck was extremely
enthusiashc about the opportimities that
the Amiga had. If enthusiasm is a guide,
then we have a great chance to see a true
Amiga resurgence under this new com-
pany.
OK, you've heard it all before? Well,
take a look at the article on page 42 of this
issue and see if you don't begin to fee! the
shiver of excitement.
Georgia Tech's Amiga 2500 In 1990.
Olympic Glory
As this issue is flying to the press,
Atlanta is playing host to the world \vith
the 1996 Olympic Games. 1 was surprised
recently when I spoke with VlScorp and
Amiga Technologies executives and they
had no knowledge of the importance the
Amiga had played in getting the games to
Atlanta.
In the October, 1990 issue of Amazing
Computing there was a small two page
article that showed an Amiga 2500 as the
central unit in a high-tech multimedia
multi-platform presentation system. With
laser discs, MIDI sound, digitized speech
and more, Atlanta was able to tell the world
just why they would be the best choice.
As a crowning touch, the International
Olympic Committee announced Atlanta the
winner on the day that edition of AC
shipped. You can read the full article in the
October, 1990 issue of AC (back issues are
available) or you can sec it on our web site
at www.pimpub.com,
So, as I watch the Olympic games this
Summer, I wonder what they would have
been like if Commodore had taken a more
forceful position. If the Amiga had been
able to capitalize more quickly on its
advantages.
I do know that today, we still have a
machine capable of doing what was done in
1990 and more. I also know that no other
desktop computer has been able to do the
same since. And now, once again, we have
the beginning of a new opportimity, a new
frontier. Exciting, isn't iti
J. .*.COMPU'rL-st_. <
g^MIGA
Amialns Coni/>H(in^'/LM/<M™
ADMINISTRATION
Publisher: Joyce Hicks
Assistant Publisher: Robert J. Hicfis
Intern: Nicholas H. Pacheco
Circulation Manager: Doris GamiJie
Traffic Manager: Robert Gamble
Production Manager: Ernest P. Viveiros
EDITORIAL
Managing Editor: Don Hicks
Hardware Editor: Ernes! P. Viveiros
Illustrator: Brian Fox
Contributing Editor: Marrill Callaway
Contributing Editor: Shamms Mortier
Don Hicks
Managing Editor
AMAZING AUTHORS
Keitfi Cameron
Wiiliam Frawley
Jeff James
Henning Vahlenkamp
Doug Nakakihara
Randy Finch
Rob Hays
John Steiner
Dan Weiss
Jason D'Apfile
1-50B-678-4200, 1-800-345-3360,
FAX 1-508-675-6002
http;//www.ptmpub.com
Amazing Computing/Amiga"' (ISSN 1053-4547) is
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AmigaDOS 3.1 AS3 1 2^32003034(1 S149,»ll9.99/t39.99I1K.99
ArTiTCMPv4.2... -,,- 87.99
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CrossDOSi*.0 42.99
CroSSMAC 69,99
Cybergraplii .49,99
Diteclor/ Opus 5 87.99
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59.99
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CD1200 Plus PCMCIA CDROM ConiraBei.-.
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ASRAM 2080 O.BU RAM Card...
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HP Scanjet IIC Dnver lor ADPra
.jasK
..29.00
DataFlyer 270MB IDE SyQuesI A4000
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Claiity 16 Audio Dianiier ., _
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Disk Ma^c...
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TYItMinllh 2.S M.»»
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ImagcFX 2>6...the premiere Amiga
image piocessing pahage. Every tool you
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■APHUC HARDWARE
Cytemsion 2MB Zoiro III 24-bit Gr&phics Card S409.99
Cyberassion 4HB ZoiTO ill 24-bit Graphics Card 499,99
Digimax 3D Objeci Digilizer 599,99
Ptrisnal Anlmalliin Riiordar DR2150 CtU
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Warp 060 by Macrosyslera Development 'CALL
ItnageFX by Nova Design ..
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Burn through tlie tougiiesi rendering tasks and realize massive
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Built-in Etl^emet port and PCI connector lor added upgradability.
Wildfire 060
ft2CCC accelerator by DKB
Humanoid 2.0...tt)e mulli-platform
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Humanoid 2.0 Ciesti nc ' 1 69"
llfht-ROM 3.,.3 CD-ROMs f:lled
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Imagine, 3D Studio, Sculpt and Real 3D.
lighl-ROM G-acfcCe-ai, '39"
CD Solutions'14" multi-lrequency
monitor Puliy compatible with tne
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price with purehase of A4000 Tower!
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Personal TBC IV VT26QO S799.99
Pilosis II 2MB 24-blt Craphhi Card _,. 399.99
SuperGenSX ...,. 6B9.99
SuperSen SX Studn 739.99
Vidi Amiga 24RT » „ .224.99
Vidi Amiga 24HT Pro 320.99
YCP-GA Y/C Monitor Adapter. - „ S9.99
tIR, FLYER « ilOHTWAVE
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Sparfts for Lightwave
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Surface Pro tor Lightwave
59.99
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149,99
a
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AlCOB SCSI Controller RAM OKB 129 99
Amiganel E'tiemel Board A20(M'3(X)a'4000 269.99
Ariadna EtherntI Board w/ Eauoy 279.99
Bli22aid AlZOO OBO 50MHz Accelerator 769.99
Yamaha CDH102 CD.RQM Recorder 739.99
Cobra A 1 3m (}30J0MHz Accelerator 219.99
Cybeisto/m Mk II A40OO'40O0T 060 SOHHz AcceleratOt 899.99
DataFivK 40003 SCSI- 99 99
ini]iiniiii ri|Miiininiiiiii of Tiw "inniti) mom
Uana Networtting Inlerface w/ Envoy „_ SI. 99
MegAChip W/2MB Agnus (tJTSCl „ 249.99
I\legalosouhd Audio Digitizer 59.99
Megaf^ouse 27.""
Rapid Flro $($1-2 ConlroHor RAM OKB 145.99
TesMagi A2000 040 33WHZ Accelerator 859.99
TeiiMag,c A2C00 040 40MHz Accelerator 949 99
TekUago AZCOO 060 50f,<Hz Acceieratof. 1,389.99
Warp Engine A3000,'4000T D60 SOIllHz ActeleralOf CALL
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SELECT SOLUTIONS INC. POLICIES: VISA, MaaerCanJ antjOscavef^cc^ml. No stin^fge an aaiil cat! ofdeis. Ctsdit c^^^snol disfged witt! ordor siirps. ^.00 COO tee.
casfi only. Prices are sui^'ecr Io chsngs wr/wur iKtics. Call for ciirrm pfkM\g We are r^r responsible let l^poai<iphic3l ffrrprs 15% restocking lee tor items relumsfl antf net;
ejcrtartjed rar same Cfr^lorrvr is responsible lor relumsfiippng f^ewmsacceoletllor 10 days atlermw^ date. SHIPPING: 0-S lbs. S500. 6-20*5. aajSf tOtb.ovef51bs. over
«0 Itw fldy SOclb. over 20 bs Ral« SRpjy Io orders sftipped m the cwanarilaJ i;s on^. Camdian cftfers aiftl 55 M fur your prasan^ we aech cred't c^rris Swyaigtily
Circle 11 5 on Reader Service card.
.-r <;OVUlWNS, INC.
W«ne>Q'i"^'° 5.J785
FEEDBAC
Dear AC,
I have been purchasing your magazine for nbout seven
months now, ever since its discovery by me in a local book-
store, Barnes and Noble. Your magazine is consistently the
most informative and professional of the limited array of
Amiga publications available.
I have also written letters to VIScorp and Phase Five
Digital products, essentially begging for some decent advertis-
ing and marketing here in the States. Also, since 1 live in Salt
Lake City, a city of almost a million souls, an Amiga dealer who
actually stocks Amigas, as well as software newer than 1992,
would be helpful. When I ask friendly dealers about the Amiga,
they lament that, despite the Amiga's suf^rior OS and other
capabilities, there isn't enough demand for the Amiga because
there's no advertising, and at any rate there's no dealer support
network. If they sell Amigas, they are on their own. Then they
try to sell me a nice Pentium with Windoze '95 on it, consuming
vast tracts of the 1.3 gig hard drive and seemingly unable to
find most of its equipment. But there are 1-SOO numbers all over
it, and I can get software for it anywhere, including the local
grocery store!
1 mentioned all this and more in my letters to VIScorp and
Phase Five, and I am also hoping for some sort of Windows or
Macintosh cross-platform support. No one hates WIN '95 more
than I, but in order for a computer to sell in America, it's gotta
have compatibility' with available Microsoft software. This
would also ease the initial shortage of the Amiga-specific, and
often superior, software. Oh yes, and a good, active matrix
laptop with the Amiga OS and a decent hard drive on it would
be great, especially if advertised by Christmas time. I would
probably be the first in the Salt Lake valley to buy one, but
maybe with some, no MUCH!, advertising, the Amiga could
once again be established as a viable, reliable alternative to
what's currently available. 1 can only hope that the new Amiga
owners will follow through on these things and more.
Thanks again for continuing your insightful support of the
Amiga and its users. The Apple ads say that 38"''n of Mac users
consider themselves "missionaries for the brand". Amiga users
have them beat, as well as we are all "missionaries for our
brand". May our machine "Live Long, and Prosper!" Good
luck, VIScorp!
Sincerely,
Bolton Peck
Salt Lake City UT
No )im}s could have iimdi' the staff of Amazing Computing am/
happier tlitiii the amhwncanent thai the sale to VIScorp had gone
through. Tliis iiniiiftr\/ has suffered a ^-rent deal (so much so that
many of our fellow Amiga users are having bouts a paranoia) but the
rest of the world is still trying to create what the Amiga had tm years
ago.
The fad that there arc thousands of Pentium programs and
millions of places to buy them only means one thing — If you need a
Pentium, buy one. But if your needs can only be met with the price,
performance, and capabilities of the Amiga, you are now going to have
a better than ever opportunity to buy one. Wliile VIScorp is sfiU not
saying much about their plans (this issue went to press just dai/s after
the final sale) it is apparent that VlScorp's needs and the needs of the
Amiga connnunity have a very similar focus. — ED
Please Write to:
FeedBack
c/o Amazing Computing
P.O. Box 2140
Fall River, MA 02722-2140
DKB Products
Rapidfirc .SCS|.n....$139.00
Cobra 40Mhz Aii-....$ 199.00
Cobra 33Mhz Act....$15S.OO
Ferret SCSI II $ 99.00
1202 Ram Card $ 99.00
FPL' Math Chips
3JMhz 68882 $ .^9.95
We Are The #7 Canadian Distributor Of Amiga
Related Products. For A Dealer Near You Call Us
ToUFreel-SOO-847.3315
Pha.sc 5 Producl.';
Blizzard 1260 Turbo for A1200 $ 869.00
Blizzard 1230-IV Turbo for A1200 S 285.00
Blizzard SCSI-IV Kit For 1260/1230 S 199.00
Biiziard 2060 SOMhz Turbo for A2000..S 935.00
CvbcrVision 64 2 MB Board $ 449.00
c'vherVision 64 4 MB Board $ 529.00
c'vbf rSlorm MK2 060 for A3000/40D0..$ 935.00
Call 1-800-847-3315
http://www.cyg.net/~aniazing/
.\ C} ht'ispai-v Ki'laili'i'
(Jrdt'r>, Sliippi-d To V'our Door
Visa ()rdir-..\dd 2.5 'i
■ ■si'jy I'l.ij-
Video Toaster 4000 $2079.00
Video Flyer 4000 S4195.00
Lightwave 3D 4.0 $ 789.00
Toaster Upgrade 4.1...$ 499.00
Wc Carry
Pha.se ."i
GVP
Asimware
Qua.sar
Nova Design
Exp. Sy.sit;m.s
And IVIorc
.■u.s.fflzuE.'saas
Toa-ster/Fiyer Accessories
Control Tower $ 1 99.95
Decision .Maker $339.95
Visual FX Combo $199.95
Surface Pro $ 79.95
Road Sign.s $ 64.95
Balch Factory $ 64.95
Wave Maker $199.95
Compoiiile Studio Pro $194.95
Wipe Studio $194.95
Video Flyer Octopus Cable $139.00
Amiga 4000 Towcr+MaKic Kit....$CALL
Amiga 1200+Maglc Kit $CALL
Amine! Vol. 12 CD $ 24.95
Eric Schwartz CD Archive % 30.95
Circle 109 on Reader Service card.
Amazing Computing
Check out our new Web page
at www.amicomtechxom
Mon-Sat
. .., 10am-7pm
/(Central Time)
Orders Only:
800-556-1562
7T^
UltmlmKMrd)
Info/FAX
556-6160
Call to speak ta a friendly, knowledgeable sales person or
technician. We have specialists in many different areas of
Amiga computing ready to serve you!
6057 Maple Street ~ Omaha, NE 68104
World Wide Web News
GIANT NEWS--Amicom has developed a
World Wide Web kit which contains all
the software you need to get on the
World Wide Web {plus full technical
support)! Included are the popular Web
browsers Voyager 1.0, AWeb1.2,
AMosaic, and more! Includes eight disks
plus manual. Getting on the Web has
never been easierltl
Meniorv
4MB 72-pin BOns
8MB 72-pin 60ns
16MB 72-pin 60ns
32/64MB 72-pin 60ns
GVP4/16MBSIMM32
$59.95
$99.95
$189.95
$369.95/1295.00
$129.95/599.95
Call for current pricing and price matching!
Specials
SyquestEZ-1 35 Removable $219.95
Syquest EZ-1 35 Cartridge $24.95
Toaster 4000 Board (Preowned) $1499.95
Link It! $39.95
A4000 Desktop (Preowned) $1 795,00
Killing Cloud (New) $9.00
Thunder Blade $12.00
Nova 9 S9.00
Prison (Actionware) $5.00
Word/Data Processing
Fi nal Writer Releases $114.95
Final Data Release 3 $64.95
PageStream 2.2SE $39.95
TurboCalc v3.5 Spreadsheet $58.95
ProVector3 $159.95
Graphics & Sound
Video Toaster 4.1 CD Upgrade $549.95
Video Toaster 4000 $2249.95
Clarity 16 (for AII Amiga Models) $179.95
Deluxe Paint V $104.95
MegaLoSound $54.95
Euro Magazines
CD Amiga $9.49
Amiga Format w/Disks $9.95
Amiga Format w/CD yV£W7 S11.95
Amiga Computing w/Disks $10.49
Amiga Shopper $8.95
BLITZ BASIC 2.1
Amlcom Technology is the new OFFICIAL US
Distributor. Includes such features as AREXX
support, recursion, linked lists, and many other
new and improved features. Free Technical
Support availattle with purchasel Call about
joining Amicom's Club Blitzl
BLITZ BASIC 2.1 $69.95
Telecommunications
Amicom Surfer Software $39.95
Amicom Surfer w/14.4 5119.95
Amicom Surfer w/28.8 $199.95
Cardinal Fax/Modem 1 4.4/28.8 $99.95/1 79.95
Termite $35.95
GP Fax Universal $54.95
Accelerators
Derringer 68030 (A500/2000)
25/33/40/50 S299/$319/S339/S439
DKB Cobra 030/33 (A1 200) $174,95
Blizzard 1260/50MHz (A1200) $769.95
Magnum 040/28 (A2000) $939.00
TekMagic 040/33 (A2000) $999.95
Cyberstorm Wlk2 060/50 {A3-4000) $1 ,199.95
Ottiers availaiife!
Pointers
MegaMouseMooopi) $24.95
Wizard Mouse (Beige or eiKk)
(3-button 560dpi) $27.95
Crystal Trackball $29.95
Ekiipse Mouse pnodpri $19.95
Cables
6' Printer Cable 'great value' $2.99
6' Serial Cable $4.99
ParNet Cable 871 6' $24.95/34.95
SerNet (Null Modem] Cable $9.95
Pa rN et/SerN et S oftware $3 . 00
AB Serial/Parallel Switch $1 0.95
2 Drive Internal SCSI Cable $9.95
6 Drive Internal SCSI Cable $16.95
Other Cables A mailable!
CALL
Disks & Drives
1.76MB IntJExt. Floppy Drives
50 Pack 3.5" HD/DD Disks
(Prelabeled) $17.95
Amicom 21 Game Bundle $19.95
Call for pricing on preowned 880K and 1.76MB Drives
Call 402-556-6160fofyoiJr FREE Catalog!
Hard Drives
213MB 2.5" Toshiba IDE $134.95
2.5" IDE Short Cable $10.95
100MB ZIP SCSI Removable $199.95
100MB ZIP Cartridges $17.95
1 .28GB Quantum SCSt2 3.5" $299.95
Gtx/Sound Hardware
VLab Motion $1 ,649.95
Toccata 1 6-bit Sampler $439.95
VLab Y/C Int./Ext. $424.95/$469.95
Picasso 11+ 2MB S369.95
Cybervision 64 2MB/4MB $499.95/649.95
Vidi 24RT framegrabber $224,95
Pyramid MIDI interface $42.95
CD-ROM Drives
4x SCSI Internal
4x SCSI External
AslmCDFS 3,5
$169.95
$239.95
$59.95
Fargo Printers
FOtOFUN! Photo/PoetsardMug Printer $499.95
Includes 4 FotoMug kit & 36 Foto Kit
PrtmeraPro $1,339.95
Primera/FotoFUN! supplies available!
SCSI/IDE Hardware
Squirrel PCMCIA SCSI2 $84.95
Surf Squirrel w/Serlal Port $129.95
M-TEC AT-500 IDE + RAM $149.95
DataFlyer 500 IDE/SCSI $149.95/1 59,95
(above also works on A WOO!)
DataFlyer 2000 IDE/SCSI $99.95/84.95
RapidFire SCSi2 + RAM $144.95
DataFlyer SCS 1+1 200/4000 $89.95/99.95
AmioaDOS
AmIgaOS 3.1 (A500/2000) $119.95
AmigaOSa.l (A1200) $149.95
AmigaOS 3.1 (A3000) $139.95
AmiaaOS 3.1 fA40001 $135.95
Computer Systems
A4000T System ia StocL' ^'^
Price-watching available! DCuUCW
Amiga 4000 Tower: 1GB
SCSI2 Harxl Drive (5MB/sec),
4MB Fast, 2MB Chip, '040^5,
083.1, Software Bundle
(6 are an authorized Amiga dealer
Amiga 4000 Tower Price
6MB RAM/1 G B SCSI Reduced^
Amiga 4000 Desktop* $1,795
Amiga 1200 (Commodore) $575
Amiga'SOOO* $399
Other systems availabtel
* Denotes Preowned System
This Bd was produced entirely with Amiga computers, PageStream, and otiier Amiga software
15% restocking fee will be levied on returned non-
defective items. Return aulhorizatlon must be secured
within tS days of receipt of product. Siiipping is the
responsibility of the purehaeer. Not rosponsible for
typof]raphicaf errors. Prepayments by personal check
reiquire 14 days to clear. No surcharge for using your
credit card. Availability and prices are stibject to
change.
If you would like Amicom Technology to distribute
pur original software, please get in contact with usl
Circle %ft2 on Header Service card.
Been following the
Amiga market lately?
CfeotoYixir Work fiend
Then you must have been reading Amazing
Computing. AC has been with the market on every
■ rise, fall, twist, turn, and surprising event. Each issue
AC not only reviews great products, offers
interesting tutorials, and brings you up to date on everything that is
coming and going in the Amiga community, we also delve into the
future of the Amiga. AC has followed the course of the Amiga for
over ten years. It is the longest running periodical for the Amiga
and it is your best opportunity to know just what is happening in the
market, before you are taken for a ride.
To climb on board just call toll-free in the US and Canada
■ 1 -800-345-3360 or complete the
form and send it with check,
money order, or credit card
■' information to Amazing
.>w Computing, PiM Publications Inc.,
. " ■' - ' ,. . "■ Z" FAX is available at 1-508-675-6002,
.V- , .,.„-A;-.V;V,.-<-A^jiU.^ ^
PRODUCTS
New Business Software, a new Aminet collection, and
the Amiga Is seen working at tine Olympics.
DESKTOP VIDEO SYSTEMS
The DRIVE-IN' ''' is a low cost, high
performance, hard dri\'e expansion
system for use with the Video Toaster
piygj-iM jj. includes a heavy duty case,
250 watt or larger power supply,
internal SCSI cabling, external SCSI
pass thru connectors, SCSI ID
switches, power/hard drive activity
LED's, and additional cooling fans for
optimum drive performance.
The DRIVE-IN"' is a\'ailable as
either a bare bones enclosure, or as a
delivery ready preconfigured system
including NewTek approved Flyer
compatible drives. The DRIVE-INtm
supports several Video Toaster Flyer"'
compatible hard drives, CD-ROM
drives, Tape drives, etc. The system
provides a complete solution for die
SCSI comtecti\'ity and pass thru needs
for all three SCSI II controllers in-
cluded with the Video Toaster Flyer'^^'.
The DRIVE-INT^' is now available
in configurations ranging from 7 and 9
bay models, to high end rackmount
applications. Suggested retail price for
the 7 bay unit is $499.00. For addi-
tional information please contact Tom
O'Connor, Desktop Video Systems,
9054 Parkhili, Lenexa, KS 66215. You
may also caU (913)782-8888 or fax
(913)492-6908.
MoneySmart from GRAFICA
Grafica Software has announced
the release of MoneySmart v2.0 for the
Amiga. MoneySmart is a program
designed to help the home user and
the small business owner organize his
financial matters with ease.
MoneySmart can reduce your
involvement with files and directories
to a minimum- MoneySmart allows
you to write checks, memorize checks,
print checks, reconcile your bank
statement, edit the categories, budget,
and much more. MoneySmart retails
for the reasonable price of $69.95 and
includes the MoneySmart "User
Manual" of more than one hundred
pages describing in detail every aspect
of the program.
MoneySmart's operating system
requirements include AmigaDos 2.0 or
above. Font Topaz 8, and a Printer
Driver for your printer. Hardware
requirements for MoneySmart are an
Amiga computer, a floppy disk drive,
a hard disk (optional), a printer (if you
September 1996
DISTANT SUNS 5.01
DESKTOP PLANETARIUM
CD-ROM
Your Spaceship Awaits!
- 1500 16 color & 256 color IFF images
- Megabytes of 16 color & 256 color anims
- 16 million star Hubble Catalog
- 3-D planet rendering
- View imacfs in 256 colors on AGA capable Aiiiigas
■ Display night sky from 4713 BC to 10,000 AD
- Add your own comet and asteroid data
- Comet Hyakutake and Hale-Bopp data included
AmigaDOS 2.04 or newer, 2 megs RAM 8c hard disk
required. NTSC and PAL versions available.
$99.95
Call for upgrade prices.
GeoMorph 1.00
Create animations where the landscape, trees, clouds, and colors
change before your eyes. Morph landscapes! Grow trees! Change
seasons! Create moving clouds! Multiple morphs in single script!
Requires VistaPro 3.0 or newer. AmigaDOS 2.04 or newer,
2 megs RAM Si. hard disk required.
$49.95
VistaPro 3.05 Bundle
True 24 bit landscape rendering package bundles with the
VistaPro utilities MakePath, TerraForm and GeoMorph.
Includes Mars Valles Marineris DEM data set. (160 landscapes)
Requires 4 megs of RAM and Workbench 2.04 or newer.
List Price $229.75 Special thru Seat 1 - $149.95
Utilities bundle only (w/o VistaPro) - S 89.95
MegageM's ScapeMaker 4.0
Make VisiaPro DEMs from IFF Images!
ARexx capable for automated conversions
LightWave 30 Object Saver
Boolean Logic Combinations of 3D Objects
Process AGA 256 Color IFF Images
$49.95
Chaocity
representing - Virtual Reality Lamratories • Amiga
221 Town Center West #259
Santa Maria, CA 93454 USA
(805) 925-7732 (voice) (805) 928-3128 (FAX)
Internet email 75300.3706@compuserve.com
Visa & Mastercard welcome.
Call or write for free newsletter,
Dealer inquiries invited.
want to print MoneySmart checks), and 512k of RAM.
MoneySmart v2.0 will be available the last week of Jtily
1996, directly from Grafica Software. MoneySmart \v)ll be
marketed through magazine adverhsement, direct mailings,
and the Internet.
Grafica Software, 5255 Stevens Creek Blvd. Ste 282,
Santa Clara, CA 95051, Voice & Fax (408) 249-9275.
Aminet Set 3
Aminct Set 3 offers everything that was added to the
archive since Aminet Set 2 was made, plus full versions of
Imagine 4.0, XiPaint 3.2, OctaMED 5 (each full version offers
an inexpensive upgrade-path) as well as a couple of
commercial games. Aminet Set 3 also offers 900 3D objects,
240 textures and 459 mods, which will not appear on the
regular Aminet CD-ROM series. This product is distributed
in North America through Cronus,
Cronus (formerly Fred Fish's Amiga Library Services),
610 N. Alma School Road, Suite 18, Chandler, AZ 85224-
3687, (602) 491-0442, info@anigalib.com
Amiga Supports thie 1996 Olympic Games
The 1996 Summer Olympic Games provides a unique
opportunity for the Amiga to demonstrate its worldwide
appeal, especially among news and media professionals
from Europe and the Americas.
Several US-based Amiga companies have joined forces
to provide computer support to the press agencies attending
the Games. A series of high-end Amigas were placed at the
heart of the media editing room for use as an onsite editing
tool for video footage taken by various reporters and media
producers. The Amiga will be getting some positive media
coverage and a chance to demonstrate its prowess handling
complex broadcast and video graphics.
Keith Cagie, of Virtual Reality Productions, organized
the event space. VIScorp wished to thank the Amiga
community for its support in this effort, especially the
following companies for their contribution:
Virtual Reality Productions, Keith Cagle
QuikPak, Dave Ziembecki
NewTek, Bob Hoffman & Daneta Colbach
Anti-Gravity Products, June Lavenberg
DPS
Micropace, Bob Wolter
New Product, Industry
Announcement?
Send it to: New Products Editor,
Amazing Computing,
P.O. Box 2140,
Fall River, MA 02722-2140,
(508) 678-4200,
FAX (508) 675-6002
Circle 101 on Reader Service card.
10 Amazing Computing
Orders Only
800-735-2633
VisionSoft
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Internet: sales@visionsoft.com
Homepage: http:(lH'\vw.visionsoft.cora
Orders Only
800-735-2633
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GenLxwk Sei'viee Manual 19,95
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Circle 120 on Reader Service card.
The Not At
All Complete
Grapliics
CD-ROM
Compilation
Digest
There is a world
of possibilities
ill every graphic
CD-ROM.
1)1/ R. Slinmms Mortier
Once you really settle down with your 3D graphics
sofhvare, and the learning curve straightens out in a horizontal
fashion {meaning: the struggle to actually produce 3D art and
animation comes naturally, without the excessive time spent
pouring through documentation to learn how this and that
works), you may begin to notice some heretofore hidden
changes in your personality. Tlie subtleties tliat were buried
under the anxiety and pressure of the basic 3D learning
experience float to the top of your perception. One of these new
recognitions is that you may find yourself looking at the world
in a very different manner, noticing things that never called to
your attention before.
In computerease, we call this "texture deficit disorder", a
condition that effects anyone who lias invested more than a
year in working with 3D graphics. You can tell if you have it if
you lust to capture a segment of everything you look at, and
store it away on hard disk as a texture that you can wrap on a
3D object in your favorite application. Tlie amazing thing about
it, perhaps its Zen component, is that things in the ivorld that
you passed by and took for granted before (dirt, gravel, old
weathered siding, leaf configurations...) suddenly jump out at
you as "great textures", textures that you must collect and store
away.
Figure 2. The objects have had textures applied from the
"Accents in Stone" CD-ROM. Look at the objects now. What are
they saying? What is the general feeling of this scene?
Figure 1 . Without observable textures, these objects (sculpted in Aladdin 4D) look
blank and lifeless. Our ability to conjecture the "meaning" of a composition has as
much to do with the textures exhibited by objects as the shape of reality itself. It's
like looking at a face whose worry and smile lines tell a story about the lived life of
the person at first glance.
Over the last two or so years, tliis lust to gather all of the
potential textures in the universe lias had an effect on the
marketing enterprises that have sprung up like weeds to
ser\'ice the 3D computer graphics industry. Coupled with the
price reduction in quality CD recording equipment (CD-R) and
software, the amount of available textures on CD-ROMs has
gone riglit through the roof. The same is even true for libraries
of 3D objects upon which these and other textures can be
wrapped. Add to this the emergence of digital still cameras as a
resource, so that you actually can grab pieces of the world for
storage in your texture libraries, and you have an obsession in
the making.
No single article can cover aU of the texture and 3D object
CD-ROMs available, Wliat we hope to do here is to call your
attention to most of the important texture volumes on CD,
giving you some hints about the variety and magnitude of
textures available for your wrapping and projecting pleasure.
As an Amiga user you should remember that textures
contamed on Amiga, PC, and Mac CD-ROMs are all up for
your pleasure, because the Amiga (with the help of Nova
Design's ImageFX software) can read a mulhtude of picture
and platform graphics formats. Note that we are not including
prices with these listings. You can contact tlie developers for
that information, since CD-ROM pricing is continuously under
revision. With all of this in mind, ease into your obser\'ation
seat and cast your gaze out at tlie textured landscape. Here we
go!
Accents in Stone
3123 Lee Place
Bellmore, NY 11710
This is a Kodak PhotoCD disk with 114 separate exquisite
stone textures. All of the textures were originally captured in 18
meg files, then later reduced to five different resolutions and
color corrected where needed, the stones encompass organic
stone surfaces, marble, and granite. A full catalog of the color
images is included so you know exactly what you are getting
before rendering it. Since these are Photo-CD files, they are
perfect for using the ASlMware PhotoCD manager. Most 3D
users will probably take advantage of the smaller image sizes,
while DTP users may wish to use the largest resolutions.
12
Ajuazii\c Computing
Ala Carte
Digital Stocl<.
(602) 924-0909
If you require images of food, from soup to nuts and
everything in between, then be sure to add this CD-ROM to
your libr.iry. The images are of the highest quality, and there
are 100 of them. They come in two resolutions, 128 x 192 and
2048 X 3072. The format is Kodak PhotoCD, so you will want to
purchase ASlMware's PhotoCD Manager as a utility. All of the
images are precisely cut out of their backgrounds, so using
them as elements in composited graphics is a snap,
Almathera
Southerton House, Boundary Business Court.
92-94 Church Road, Mitcham
Surrey, England CR4-3TD
Known for its PhotoGenics software for the Amiga,
Almathera is also the distributor of large CD-RON4 collections
for the Amiga and the PC. Many of the images seem to be
drawn from the public on-line domain as well as from original
sources, so various libraries contain a mix of images of various
quality levels and subject areas. Prices for the collections are
usually quite reasonable however, so even if you can only use a
percentage of the total, the CDs are a bargain. Almathera
collections include: 3D Arena (24-bit images ready for Real3D,
Lightwave, Imagine, 3D St\idio, Retina, and other formats) for
the Amiga and PC; Almathera ten CD Library (a mix of video,
graphics, utility, audio, and other files); Almathera PhotoGenic
specific CD-ROMs (available with the purchase of
PhotoGenics).
Artworks
Dynamic Graphics, Inc.
6000 N. Forest Park Drive
Peoria, IL 61614-3592
(800) 255-8800
If you are among the vector challenged, endlessly seeking
out new graphics for your DTP work in PageStream or other
applications, then you owe it to yourself to look at the library of
CD-ROMs from Dynamic Graphics loaded with EPS art. These
CDs go under the general heading of "ArtWorks", Dynamic
Graphics puts out a catalog that features a full description of all
of the CDs, and you can order it by giving them a call.
A foidout is included with each CD-ROM that shows what
the enclosed graphics look like. I would think at least some
sampling of these CDs are required for anyone doing desktop
publishing work, on the Amiga or elsewhere. Included in the
EPS library are CDs devoted to Borders and Frame.s,
Iconographies (signage and brochures). Design Elements (EPS
spot illustrations). Quick Designs, Quickclips (volume 1 is color
clip photos and volume 2 contains photos in rectangular sizes).
Art in Depth (color spot illustrations from 3D art), and Textures
and Backgrounds. These are just some of my favorites. There
are many more volumes in the library. Check out the Dynamic
Graphics catalog.
Aztech New Medio Corporation
(416) 539-8822
anmc@hookup.net
Aztech produces dozens of image titles on CD-ROM. Each
one is commissioned from a well known photographer, and
Figures 3-6 (right, from top to bottom).
Figure 3. With looks thanks to the Schatztruhe CD-ROM, "The Beauty of Chaos", the scene now takes on another world appearance.
Figure 4. The Flower Tapestry CD-ROM from Aztech displays the photographic work of Douglas Guthrie for digital artwork
applications.
Figure 6, The Blocks and Materials CD-ROM from KETIV Productions contains 400 bitmap textures to choose from.
Figure 6, The Vivid Details volume "Old Paint" is responsible for these textured wonders. You would never think that old painted and
peeling boards could offer up such beauty.
September 1996 13
each co\'ers a separate image category. There are about fifty
images on each CD-ROM in very high resolution, suitable for
print media. And there are a tremendous amount of subjects
targeted in the Aztech series.
Preferring to be even more competitive as the market has
gotten more and more saturated with CD-ROMs with visual
content, Aztech has taken the same step that other large CD-
ROM vendors have taken. They have bundled similar content
areas together (and even non-similar content areas) and are
starting to market their CD-ROMs in much larger boxed sets.
For Aztech, this has resulted in "Cubes" of CD-ROMs, boxed
sets of ten or so CD-ROMs. So far, they have a multimedia
Cube, an ArtWorks Cube, Productivity Cube, and Publisher
Cube.
For our purposes, and for the Amiga, the ArtWorks Cube
is the target. It contains a thick collection of Aztech top-of-the-
line graphics associated content. My favorite singular CD-ROM
from Aztech (many of which are contained in the ArtWorks
Cube selection) includes: Floral Tapestry, Abstract and Graphic
Backgrounds, Underwater Realms (the most alluring water
visuals you'll ever use), Gems (you can use these for back-
grounds, or grab sections for use in texture designs), Africa (a
journey through the eyes of traditional peoples), Visual
Rhythms (a selection of magnificent photographic composi-
tions), and Watermarks and Ghosted Backgrounds. This last
CD-RO-M is great when you need subtle background art against
which more blatant graphics will be placed.
My favorite Aztech CDs are called "Spaceviews" of which
there are two volumes. If you are a Trek nut, then this collection
of planets and astronauts is right up your sidcstreet. And talk
about photos, just look at what you get on the Aztech
Photocube on seven CD-ROMs: 3000 photos from over 40
countries compiled and cross-indexed against 22 general
categories {72dpi, 24bit RGB non-compressed TIFF at about 1.2
megs each). All of the images on the other Aztech CDs tradi-
tionally come in three formats: 32 bit non-compressed CMYK
separated TIFF, 24 bit non-compressed RGB 72dpi TIFF, and 8
bit non-compressed 150dpi grayscale. I can't imagine any
computer graphics enterprise without some Aztech representa-
tion in its CD-ROM library.
Blocks and Materials
KETIV Technologies, Inc.
6601 NE 78th Court, A-8
Portland, OR 97218
(800) 458-0690
Here is a CD-ROM for anyone who can use models in DXF
format (which includes LightWave, 3D Studio, and other high
end applications). Blocks and materials has over 50 3D object
forms, including aircraft, bathroom items, faucets, chairs,
lamps, pianos, video equipment, and a lot more. There are also
1000 3DS algorhythmic textures. It contains over 600 models of
every tj'pe. It also lists over 400 bitmap textures (in three sizes),
which include Targa and Gif; Animals, People, Rugs, Plants,
Signs, Trees, and Wagons. The images are for the most part cut
out and placed on black backgrounds. This is so that they can
be easily mapped to a plane in a 3D environment with ease.
Cloud Gallery
Mary and Michael
(415) 326-9567
This may be the most beautiful collection of images on any
CD-ROM, and they are worth bringing up on your system and
Figure 7 (top). "FantaSeas" from the Fred Fish Amiga Library Services volumes presents textures taken from undersea life.
Figure 8 (second from top). Here we see the scene texturized with the help of the "Expresiv Textures" CD-ROM from World Art.
Figure 9 (third from top). Aimafhera in England is one o( the most supportive Amiga specific developers, and these textures from
Iheir "3D Arena" CD collection are an example of their efforts.
14
Amazing Computing
staring at, even if you don't have any use for them as texture
maps. The concept is simple, focusing on a library of 32 fine art
sky and cloud photographs taken by the authors in different
parts of the world. They are all in high resolution TIFF images
that come in at about a meg apiece. All of the images are
absolutely stunning,
Corel Corporation
The Corel Building
1600 Carling Avenue
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada KIZ 8R7
(613) 728-8200
htlp:// www.corel.com
Corel produces hundreds of CD-ROM image sets a year,
and it looks as if they have no plans to stop any time soon. The
Corel image sets come as bundles and as stand-alone products.
The images are all Kodak PhotoCD format, meaning that vou
can open them in any of five resolutions. I would like to call
your attention to two bundled sets, and to my favorite stand
alone CD-ROM from Corel.
The two sets I am most attracted to are called "Great
Works of Art" and "Animals", and each set is ten CD-ROMs
deep, and contains a hundred images on each CD-ROM. The
Great Works of Art CDs include just that, great works of visual
art (paintings, engravings, sculpture) from all over the world
and throughout histor)'. The paintings are real!)' useful when
you want to create an art museum effect in your 3D worlds, as
they can be mapped to surfaces and "framed". The .Animals
CDs are great for morphing sources and targets, as well as for
background images.
My absolute favorite stand-alone Corel CD-ROM is called
"Religious Stained Glass", and the effect that can be produced
when mapping these images to a semi-transparent surface in a
3D program and placing lights behind them is a\vesome
indeed. Corel's image CD-ROMs have a presence on all of the
most professional computer graphics studio shelves, and are
always high quality collections.
Cronus
(formerly Fred Fish's Amiga Library Services)
610 N. Alma School Road, Suite 18
Chandler, AZ 85224-3687
(602) 491-0442
info@anigalib.com
Cronus is a distribution outlet for the work of indepen-
dent CD-ROM developers. Represented are the best indepen-
dents from America, Germany, and more, for both Amiga and
PC oriented CD-ROMs with various contents. Among the best
that I would recommend as marketed through Cronus are;
FantaSeas (a double CD-ROM collection of undersea images,
taken by certified undersea divers, in fi\'e IFF sizes); Meeting
Pearls 1 & 11 (a collection of various utilities and applications,
including HTML pages for Web users, AMosaic, fractals,
photos, and lots more.
The actual "meeting pearls" is about four collections of
people- meeting Fionn, meeting FJR, meeting Franky, and
meeting Kochtopf, all computer nerd types in pictures., a bit
strange, but.,,); The Light Works (an astounding collection of
some of the most detailed and awesome 3D object and
respective texture maps of spaceships and other associated
objects, created for CLnema4D, Reflection, and Imagine users
by the world renowned computer artist Tobias J. Richter... get
this!!!); The Beauty of Chaos, another German creation with
blazingly colorful fractal imagery just right for mapping on 3D
objects; Texture Gallery (a two disk CD-ROM set of texture
images, in multiple formats: Brick, Bumpmaps, Canvas, carpet. Cloth,
Crimplo, Fire, Formica, Granite, Greenery, Marble, Material, Metal,,,
and more. These are small sized texture maps, about 150 x 75 pixels).
Figure 10 (opposite page bottom). Most computer graphics
artists and animators are familiar with the term "re-
purposing". It means making the best of the resources you
have. The textures in this figure are an example of that, as
they are tal<en from the "Wraptures" CD-ROM that comes
as an extra with Macromedia's Extreme 3D application.
Figure 1 1 (top). The "Texture Heaven" CD-ROM is filled with
exquisite textures in a number of formats.
Figure 12 (middle). The Cloud Gallery CD-ROM from Mary and
Michael is one of the most beautiful and awe inspiring
collections of images you will find on any CD-ROM.
Figure 13 (bottom). The Terra Firma CD-ROM from Texture farm
contains startling graphics.
September 1996
15
Fractal Pro Image Library
MegageM
1903 Adria Avenue
Santn Maria, CA 93454-1011
(805)349-1104
MegageM is known for its Fractal
Pro software, a gem of a fractal design
application. It's no surprise that this CD-
ROM, and others, are being developed at
MegageM considering the output of
Fractal Pro. The CD contains images in
HAM, 1FF24, AGA, and BMP formats.
There are 23 sets of gorgeous fractals in
up to 16,000 colors each, and dozens of
Vista DEM objects. Thumbnails of all of
the graphics are included, as well as a
HAMShow Amiga browser.
Image Club Graphics, Inc.
729 24th A\'enue Southeast
Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2G 5K8
(800) 661-9410
iinageclub@aol.com
This is another CD-ROM mega-
operation. Image Club releases new CD-
ROM image collections many dmes a
year, and an accompanying catalog
displays all of the offerings. Among their
listings of wares are two items I would
like to call your attention to: Photogear
and Object gear. Each contains dozens of
photographic images alreadv cut out of
their respecti\'c backgrounds for
placement in compositions, or texturing
projections on a plane in a 3D environ-
ment. They come with high and low
resolution options, and also with
additional files for drop shadow and cast
shadow attachments. The images are of
course intended more for DTP than DTV
use, but creative minds can adapt them
to either. There is a wide \'artetv of
images, just right to make a scene, 2D or
3D, more "real".
Key Photos
SoftKey
201 Broad\va)'
Cambridge, MA 02139
These disks are meant to be read in
a Windows compatible environment, and
\^'ork fine on the Amiga because of the
Amiga's cro.ss-platform reading capabili-
ties, SoftKey releases CD-ROMs in this
collection every month, and you can
usually find them discounted in a bin at
your local computer store. Typically,
they sell for about SIO.OO a CD.
What's great about these CD-ROMs
is the quantity and variety of the
imagery, as well as the quality. Sizes are
usually more in the realm of video use,
though portrait orientation (as opposed
to the more video friendly landscape
orientation) in some cases necessitates
that they be manipulated and/or resized
in a program like No\'a Design's
ImageFX before they can be creatively
applied. The key Photo CD-ROMs I ha\'e
contain about 2100 photos each within
eighty separate categoiies. These are well
worth the investment to fatten your CD-
ROM library of images.
Legendary Design Technologies
25 Frontenac
Brantford, Ontario, Canada N3R 3B7
(519)753-6120
legend@io.org
Legendary Design acts as a distribu-
tor for several independent CD-ROM
producers. These co\'er many areas of
use, from visual to audio and more.
Among the CD-ROMs they distribute
Figure 14 (left). Corel's Religious Stained
Glass features stunning photos of
stained glass windows.
are: Creati\'e Computers (yes, this is the
same company that had its mind set on
purchasing the Amiga when Commo-
dore first went down — this CD-ROM
contains fonts, graphics, audio files, and
shareware programs); dataMIX (as the
name suggests, a collection of graphics.
Music Mod files, Compugraphic Outline
fonts, 3D objects, and Text files); ProPics
(a collection of wonderful professional
pictures in BMP, FrameSlore, IFF, JPEG,
and TIFF format, ready to use as
backdrops in your 3D v\'ork, or as DTP
art).
Light ROM 3
Graphic Detail
4556 S. 3rd Street
Louisville, KY 40214
(502) 363-2986
michael@igloo.com
If you are a LightWa\'e user and you
do not o^s'n this 3-CD-ROM package, you
are robbing yourself out of one of the
best Lightwave resources around. The
CD-ROMs contain thousands of
LightWa\'e objects and scene files, o\'er
half a gigabyte of 3D objects in a variety
of file formats (Imagine, 3D Studio,
Sculpt, and Real 3D), 700 textures in
JPEG, Toaster Wipes, Amiga and PC
shai-eware utilities, and over 1000 DEM
files for use with Vista Pro, Scenery
Animator, and World Construction Set.
This is one of the most varied and useful
graphics CD-ROMs around.
Materia Prima
The Valis Group
PO Box 831
Tiburon, CA 94920-0831
(415) 435-5404
valisgroup@aol.com
This is an exquisite collection of 100
24-bit and 8-bit 512 x 512 pixel high-
quality TIFF textures, accompanied by a
color doc that shows each texture. Also
included arc 640 x 480 repre.sentations of
the same TIFF images. The textures are
used best as organic components in a
scene, from rocks to skin texture maps.
The textures are separated into five
groups of associated looks, including
great skins for reptiles, rocks, and even
strange textures like "guts", "confetti",
and "underbelly". This is a must-have
collection for computer artists and
animators.
16
Amazinc Computing
Figure 15 (right). What is unsightly to most
people is eye candy (or the computer
artist, like these texture exarnpies from
the Photodisc "Industrial Backstreets".
Micro R&D
Loup City, NE 68853
(800) 527-8797
Micro R&D lias been serving the
Amiga community for a king time, and
their CD-ROM collections are well worth
exploring nnd utilizing. They offer about
a lialf dozen volumes, each containing
different kinds of applications. The three
volumes I would like to call to your
attention are volumes 1, 2, and 3.
Volume 1 contains sofhvare for
transposing one graphics format to
another, including IFF-ILBM, GIF, JPEG,
PCX2, PBM, and 3MP, as well as a
selection of basic image pixicessing
options. A selection of 79 3D objects in
the Lightwave format are also included,
with all of the image maps that support
them. Among these is a complete
collection of 3D locomotives for railroad
buffs.
Volume 2 is a functional demo of
Irmovision's Broadcast Titler and
Montage sofhvare is here, plus the full
Nature's Backdrop collection of images
from Infinite Solutions in a variety of
formats. A grouping of GIF images from
NASA space missions is also included.
Volume 3 contains the spectacular
Mand 2000 fractal generator engine from
Cygnus Software. Mand 2000 can guide
you in the creation of unbelievable
Mandelbrot images and animations.
Moving Textures
Precision Computer Graphics
634 N. Glenoaks Blvd., Suite 367
Burbank,CA 91502-1024
(818) 842-6642
This is one of the two CD-ROMs
dedicated to animated sequenced files
that is included in this listing. The
sequenced files can be mapped to a
background as part of a 3D animation,
and I have used these images for just that
purpose. The CD-ROM contains clouds,
fire, water, smoke, and steam, and an
additional collection is included with
fifteen collections of FX maps (alpha
channel single frame animation files).
This is something you should investigate
if your work invoh-es computer anima-
tion.
Motion Clips
Accadia Electronic Arts
Buffalo, NY 14213-1413
(716)881-5215
This CD-ROM is the second listed in
this article that contains animated image
sequences that can be mapped to objects
in 3D environments, or used as is in a 2D
animation program, hicluded are twentv-
three separate movies. These are single
framed JPEGs, many captured on the
PAR animation recorder. As an idea,
map them to a 3D TV in a 3D scene, and
watch the TV play the movie. They can
all be looped for effect. Included are Bus
Stop, City Nights, four Claymations,
three Cloud anims, Fastlane, Fisherman,
Football, Machine, Marine, Niagara Falls,
Psyche, Science, ShipDetroit, ToyTrain,
Traffic, WaterChoppy, and WaterFast,
There's also a collection of IFF format
background frames.
Ptiotodisc, Inc.
2013 Fourth Avenue
Seattle, WA 98121
sales@photodisc.com
As a company that offers hundreds
of CD-ROM volumes to the professional
computer graphics community, no listing
would be complete without a mention of
their work. Photodisc images represent
an almost limitless number of categories,
so i would like to narrow down my
present target to a recent collection that
they offer.
It's a two CD set that's called
"Industrial Sidestreets", and it contains
images of rust and broken dreams.
Strangely enough, when vievved as a
computer graphics resource, these
images translate as beautiful visuals,
perhaps asking us to pay closer attention
to all of the parts of our world that we
usually cross the street to avoid.
Involved are background pictures and
smaller sampled areas that can be
effectively tiled to a 3D surface. Also
included are seamless tiled backgrounds
very useful in adding that "dirt}'"
realism that piishes good 3D animations
over the edge.
Screen Caffeine Pro 2
jawai Interactive, Inc.
501 East 4th Street, ^511
Austin, TX 78701-3745
(512) 469-0502
jawai@aol.com
This CD-ROM comes in two format
flavors, Mac and PC. The PC version has
106 image groups with 6 images per
group. Each image group contains the
main image, four variations of it, and one
example of how it might be used (text
backdrop, etc.). In addition, for anyone
running Macromedia Director on the PC,
the CD contains hundreds of buttons that
will load intro Director for animating.
The Mac version contains 636
graphics, 424 texture manipulation
scripts. These are separated into 106
main textures with 424 variations. The
manipulation demonstrates how the
\'ariations were produced. On both CD-
ROMs, the Screen Caffeine graphics are
original digital image artwork and not
scans, and every conceivable aesthetic
category ts included.
Syndesis Corporation
235 South Main Street
Jefferson, W! 53549
(414) 674-5200
76004. 1 763@compuserve.com
If you have been hanging out with
the Amiga for a while, you probably
know about Syndesis. Their 3D format
conversion package. Interchange, has
been a staple utility that has enjoyed
wide Amiga success. I own and use two
September 1996
17
■rt tfU .
Amigans,
Get G^-^^^^
Connected! °^^sirr^'
World Wide Web
www.micrord.com
Subscribe to our
email list by email to:
ggraham @ micrord.com
We are also available toll-free at
(800) 527-8797, (308) 745-1243,
and FAX at (308) 745-1246.
Circle 110 on Reader Service card.
of the Syndesis CD-ROMs in my
computer graphics work: volumes 1 and
II. Each contains a huge library of 3D
objects in a multitude of formats. What
makes it decidedly useful is that each is
accompanied by documentation that
shows me visual examples of each file, so
that when 1 need a spider object for
instance, I don't need to wade through
endless numbered files. Each of the
volumes is worth investigating if you
have a need to expand your 3D object
choices.
Texture Farm
PC Box 460417
San Francisco, CA 94146-0417
There arc two texture/ image CD-
ROMs from these folks that you should
look at: Terra Firma and Terra Incognita.
There are 100 images on each CD-ROM
in IFF format, and each is in five
resolutions. The imagery is just perfect
for natural organic backgrounds and
texture mapping, and a collection of
framed graphics is included on each CD-
ROM made for text backdrops. The
images are first class quality, and the
variety encompasses related visual areas.
A full color pamphlet packed in each
case shows all of the images.
Texture Heaven, I and II
ASlMware
101 Country Club Drive
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada L8K 5W4
(905) 578-4916
These CD-ROMs are marketed by
ASlMware. They contain a wealth of
unique textures in the BMP, HAMS,
IFF24, PAL24, FrameStore (Toaster) and
JPEG formats. The textures are devel-
oped from computer art paintings, and
come in standard hi-res video sizes
(depending on the format). These
textures are just right when you want a
scene to exhibit a computer art look, and
work well when targeted to small objects
in a 3D scene. Again, don't forget that
ASlMware markets PhotoCD Manager,
an absolute necessitj' for working with
Kodak PhotoCD images on the Amiga.
Tree
Onyx Computing
10 Avon Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
(617) 876-3876
onyxtree@aol,com
For those of you that have installed
a Utilities Unlimited board in your
Amiga, enabling you to run Mac
softivare, "Tree" and "Tree Professional"
software from Onyx is a must have. As a
Mac application, Tree allows you to
model an infinite number of 3D tree
objects, and port them to your rendering
application where they can be rendered.
But Onyx also markets a CD-ROM with
demos of the tree software for Mac users,
and a huge volume (about 140 megs) of
tree and bush pre-renders that can be
capt;.ired and ported to any platform for
incorporating extremely realistic natural
elements.
VideoGems 1
MegageM, Inc.
1903 Adria Avenue
Santa maria, CA 93454
(805) 349-1104
gems@megagem.com
As the first CD-ROM in a
porospective series, the VideoGems
volume wilt be of certain interest to
LightWa\'e users, as well as to computer
artists and animators in general. It
contains 56 new Video Toaster effects, 36
new ColorFonts, dozens of FrameStore
graphics, and hundreds of LightWave
objects of 3D surface maps of Mars and
Earth locations. I can't imagine a
Lightwave user, Amiga or PC, who will
want to skip owning this superlative
choice for their librarv. The volume also
contains a slideshow utility, and
necessary viewing plugins.
Vivid Details
8228 Sulphur Mountain Road
Ojai, CA 93023-9372
(805) 646-0217
The moment you see any of the
volumes in this widening set of CD-
ROMs, you know you are in for a high
quality treat. The sets come boxed in
thick 3-CD packs, and the graphics are in
full representative color and detail on the
front. These are extremely high-end
products, meant for the highest quality
products, whether in DTP or video use.
The "small" TIFF files are about 3 megs
deep, while the larger DTP files are about
30 megs! For 3D computer graphics, the
smaller files will do fine, and I have even
halved them twice before using them on
3D objects in a scene with no visible loss
of qualit}'. The collections are grouped
under various headings, and I highly
recommend them all, especially "Old
Paint" and "Flowers". Each of the three
CD-ROMs in the sets hold sixteen
images, for a total of 48 images in each
volume.
World Art: Expresiv' Textures
One Datran Center, Suite 1500
9100 S,Dadeland Blvd.
Miami, Florida 33156
The Expresiv' Textures collection
from World Art contains textures pre-
mapped on cubes, spheres, and
tetrahedrals, ready to cut out and place
in your art. A special Presets drawer
contains small (about 100 x SO pixel)
texture maps of various surfaces, from
coral, to fossils, glass, and more. All are
TIFF images. A Screen drawer contains
larger 24-bit and 8-bit images of the same
textures in larger (640 x 480) sizes, many
of which have beveled frames suitable
for text overprinting. A separate Tiles
drawer contains the same images in a
tilable format, great for large 3D surfaces.
And so...
If I told you that this article
represented all of the CD-ROM image
collections available, I could righteously
be accused of stretching the truth to the
breaking point. What I can tell you is that
the titles and developers I have men-
tioned here are responsible for a good
amount of what is available for computer
graphics and animation use. It is
expected that the CD-ROM image
collections will reach about a billion
dollars in sales by the turn of the century,
and some of those dollars will doubtless
be yours and mine. The truth is that we
are creatures of the eyes, and that
beautiful imagery is always appreciated,
so we can never say "that's enough".
This is even more true for the computer
artist in search of ever new content for
the crafting of electronic dreams.
•AC*
18 Amazing Computing
c:::^
when you have a problem is too late...
Buy protection now!
Dave Haynie's
DiskSalv 4
"If you get no other utility. ..get DiskSalv" ■ Amiga World
"VnanimemenI reconnu comme le meilleur outil" - Dream
The ultimate utility from the Amiga authority is better than ever.
Disk recovery for hard, floppy, and removable media; salvage,
undelete, repair, unformat, check, and cleanup are all here. Requires
2.04+ and Amiga Guide. $40, or upgrade from DS3 for $10
MRBackup
VERSION 2.5 r
They're your files. Back 'em up! MRBackup has been available
on the Ainiga for nearly ten years. Complete with GUI and advanced
features like ARexx port, speech, savesei catalogs (for easy retrieval
of files) and space-saving optional data compression. Requires 2. 04+,
floppy, removable media, or SCSI tape drive, and 1 MB RAM.
$60, or upgrade for $10
Dale L. Larson's
Connect Your Amiga!
A Guide to the Internet, LANs, BBSs, and Online Services
"As a reference and product guide, as well as a tutorial, it excels" - Amiga Report
Whether you want to buy your first modem, connect to the Internet, browse the web,
or share files over a network (of Amigas, or also PCs, Macs, and/or Unix) these 2S6
pages include vital information for you. The author is a former Software Engineer
from Commodore's Amiga Networking Group, and is now el Pre.iideitte of lAM.
revised 2nd printing for '96, $24.95 book only, $49.95 book and disks
Freely Redistributable
Disks to Connect
Your Amiga!
All you need to get stancd!
With Shis set, we've solved
the chicken and the egg
problem of trying to get
downloadable software when
still unable to connect without it.
Dave Haynie's
1 116 UCathbed. Vigil ami oOierUlcs or digital mjsl
Follow Dave for two hours through the halls on Commo-
dore's last day and on to the party afterwards. Engineers
comment, both seriously and humorously, on what went
wrong and how the Amiga could get better. A cult classic.
(NR - profanity, violence)
VHS NTSC $25
Ed & Al Mackey's
MegaBall 4
Three disks of classic brick busting style
gameplay raised to the nth degree while
being system and multitasking friendly.
AGA enhanced version included. Compati-
ble with all Amiga models. Requires 1.3+
and I MB RAM. $30
QIC's
DICE v3.2
The complete integrated Amiga
development environment
with full C language com-
piler. Learn quickly and easily
with 450 page manual & tutorial.
$100 or $75 for students or for
owners of other packages
Amiga Envoy 2.0b
Amiga peer-to-peer networking
software $59.95
lAM Wears: 100% cotton T-Shirts
Deathbed Vi^il (under 100 lefi!) Cimnecl Yiyur Amiga! "1 have MegaBalls!"
Black, two sided, with eject button. Black with blue and while starchart Red with MegaBall brick and quote
signatures & boing hall. S-XXL $17 from cover, L-XL $15 in black and white, L-XL $15
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Circle 1 17 on Reader Service card.
Cinema4D Animation Tutorial: Part 1
Although we will stick to the basics, don't think that
Cinema4D Is anything less than a professional
application. Cinema4D is capable of keyframe, path,
hierarchical, inverse kinematic, and special FX
(explosions, melts, and more).
Cinema4D from HiSoft
presents the Amiga user with a new
series of tools, options, and challenges.
As we discussed in a previous review
in Amazing, Cinema4D reinvents the
wheel when it comes to the way
experienced Amiga animators have
accustomed themselves to certain
standards in other animation applica-
tions. This is not necessarily negative,
but it just means that a little study is in
order when trying to master the
software.
As art and animation soft-
ware, Cinema4D offers some state-of-
the-art alternatives, from raytrace
rendering to inverse kinematics (which
means moving one part of a hierarchi-
cal figure, like the arm of a humanoid,
while the connected parts also move in
bif R. Shamms Mortier
relationship to the selected element).
The most important thing to under-
stand about Cinema4D is that it is
designed to keep the interface very
simple, while offering a wealth of
options. These t^vo goals usually fight
each other, but in Cinema4D, they
actually cooperate.
This is accomplished by
ha\'ing the user select multiple tools at
the same time. The "Move Tool" and
"Resize Tool", for instance, can be
connected to the screen or to an object
by selecting the appropriate icons.
When you get the hang of this multiple
tool selection, maneuvering in the
software is a snap. This is not software
that you can just jump into without
reading the manual, so be prepared to
invest a day or t^vo doing just that.
Q I Help window
—^ -il;-s-I— tt.-lMIA.I
Texture
tBi^
Object Menu
-"""'^^^
Figure 1 . The first step is to bring up CMD's Texture and Object menus.
Animating
C4D offers the Amiga
animator all of the animation possibili-
ties, from keyframe to path to kine-
matic animation construction. Each of
these has its purposes and tools. We
are going to walk through a simple
keyframe animation in C4D for this
tutorial, and look at all of the necessary
steps along the way. The tutorial is
meant for owners of C4D, and will not
seek to teach where the C4D tools are
located. That has to be done in
advance by the C4D user. The tutorial
also assumes that you have some
knowledge of general Amiga practices,
like clicking the mouse and going
about other standard Amiga tasks.
We are going to create a text
animation, which is the best way to
learn any animation software. Text
animations go from logo-flybys (a text
logo flies according to specific relation-
ships with the XYZ plane) to more
intricate productions.
First, let's use the C4D tools
to create a line of text. Go to the XY
view, and bring up the "Text" re-
quester from the Object menu (it can
be found in the pop-up centered upon
the icon that looks like a small person,
second from the bottom on the right).
Enter your data in the text string box,
and select an appropriate font. Select
"OK" and notice that the text object is
written to the screen.
20
AmAZINC COMPVriNG
Each letter has a control point
attached so that it can be easily
selected, either by clicking the control
point or by going to the "Object
Selection" menu (in the menu bar
under the Edit menu) and selecting the
letter object. Once selected an object
can be targeted for a texture. Being
able to select objects from a menu of
listed choices also helps when the
screen gets overcrowded with layered
objects whose control points are
difficult to isolate.
Take a little time to experi-
ment with moving, rotating and
resizing the letters one by one. Note
that the Box icon in the toolbar has to
be turned on, as that targets manipula-
tion to objects and not to the screen.
After just a few moments, these
operations will become second nature
to you, and you will begin to appreci-
ate the way that C4D goes about its
chores.
Applying a texture is easy
enough. First select the object, either
by clicking on its control point on-
screen or by selecting it from the
objects list. Then select a texture to
apply, using a C4D texture from the
included library if you are new to all of
this. More experienced users can select
to apply their own textures, by simply
loading them into C4D's texture list.
Render a sampling of a frame
(in cither scanlinc or raytrace) to get a
feel for rendered looks and rendering
times per frame. C4D renders in full
raytrace, is fairly fast {a few minutes or
so) on an Amiga 4000, and will
necessarily take longer on slower
systems. A timely way to test your
renders is to do a "shaded" render
first. This gives you an idea of the
object lighting, without the ground
plane rendering. Then, once you are
finished moving stuff where you want
it, you can do a finished raytraced or
scanline render. Shaded renders on a
Amiga 4000 are very fast, taking only a
few seconds to come into view.
Figure 2 flop). After entering the desired text, It appears on the screen. Notice that each letter hos a control point attached,
so individual letters can be selected.
Figure 3 (middle). The text object can be manipulated either In whole or in part, by rotation, resizing, and movement on the
XYZ plane. This is a prerequisite to understanding basic keyframe animation.
Figure 4 (Bottom). Here we see the some scene as Figure 3, this time texture mapped and raytrace rendered. A Moonscape
ground lexture acts as a frame for the "Orange peel" textured letters. The full raytraced image (752 x 480 video frame)
took 18 minutes to render.
September 1996 21
D i Hefp winoovv
fll |iai °Lig!iS.
Persiipclwo
Figure 5 (top). C4D's Time and Timeline windows.
Figure 6 (middle). C4D's Time Control Window stiows how ttie animation \rtll
accelerate/deceierafe at certain i<eytrame nodes.
Figure 7 (bottom). Wtien a preview 2 color animation is complete, it can be
previewed in a window dedicated to tliat purpose, and manipulated by VCR
like controls. Higher quality animations can be loaded into TrueBrllilance or
Brilliance and played back.
Now that we have walked
through some of the rendering and
scene basics in C4D, let's talk about the
animation features. Since this is the
first of a few C4D animation tutorials
we will cover in Amazing, we are
going to stick to the basics, but don't
think that C4D is anything less than a
professional application. C4D is
capable of keyframe, path, hierarchi-
cal, inverse kinematic, and special FX
(explosions, melts, and more). What
we are going to do in this first tutorial
is to create a simple animation that
shows an object (in this case, a letter)
in animated movement, describing the
necessary tools needed to make this
happen.
So the first thing is to create a
new stage by selecting "New" from the
Preferences menu, and to place a letter
object (just follow the previous
discussion on letter origination above).
Then the letter should be textured, and
an optional background picture, or a
sky or ground texture, should be put
in place. Now we are ready to begin
the animation process.
C4D's basic animation
element is the "Key", recognizable to
experienced animation users as a
"keyframe". Keyframe animation takes
us from one keyframe to another, with
the computer interpolating all of the
in-between frames ("Tweens") as the
animation progresses. The computer
does its work based upon the frames-
per-second data. Quality animations
run at either 30 or 60 frames a second.
15 frames a second is about as slow as
you can go without making move-
ments on screen seem too chunky or
jerky.
The next thing to do in a C4D
animation is to set the global param-
eters from a window of the same
name. This includes setting the total
time-length the animation is to be, and
the frames-per-second rate involved.
15 frames per second for a 5 second
animation equals 5 x 15 or 75 rendered
frames. It is always best to create
smaller sized animations first, espe-
cially if you are new to either or both
the software and the animation
process. Learning, like good food, is
best assimilated in chewable amounts.
22
Amazing Computing
So bring up the Global
Parameters in the keyframe menu, and
set the duration of the animation to 2
seconds at 15 frames a second. This
gives us a total of 2 x 15, or 30 ren-
dered frames. Make the size of the
output a C4D "full size" frame , which
is 320 X 256 pixels, by using the right
mouse button on the frame icon,
bringing up the save/size menu.
The Time Window has
controls to move the animation
sequence ahead a frame at a time, a
second at a time, and a keyframe at a
time. Moving a keyframe at a time,
obviously, means that you have to
have set up the keyframe nodes first.
Setting up a keyframe node
couldn't be easier. Move the time
slider by seconds to appropriate time
segments (for instance, create three
keyframe events: one at the start, one
at the middle, and one at the end of the
animation), and hit the record button
each time. Adjust the size, position,
and /or rotation of your text object
with each placement before hitting the
record button. Now you have three
keyframes in your animation sequence.
You should also see a path written to
the screen if you changed the object's
position during the sequence. This is
the path the object will follow as it
moves along.
The way the object accelerates
and decelerates between keyframes
can be edited in the Time Control
Window, as demonstrated in Figure 6.
When a two-color test animation is
completed, just go to "Play" in the
Keyframe menu list and you can play
it back on screen. More high level
animations can be played back in
Brilliance and TrueBrilliance (AG A).
Next time, we will look at
more intricate Cinema4D animation
effects, and guide you through more
C4D magical creations.
Take care. We'll see you in
ROMulan space. Enjoy!
Cinema4D from HiSoft
Marketed in the USA by Oregon
Research
16200 SW Pacific Highway
Tigard, OR 97224
(503) 620-4919
VLABMolionCard
Affordable, award-v/inning non-linear
video editing and playback based on
motion JPEG technology; transforms any
2000/30D0'4000 into a fiigh-end fully
digital video record and playback
workstation without a time-base corrector;
includes powerful yet flexible IJIovieShop
editing software
VLAB Motion Card/Toccata
Bundle
Special
package
including
VLAB
Motion Card
v;ith a 16-bit
audio digitzer
VLAB Y/C Internal
Real-time composite
video digitizer for the 20QO/3000/40QO;
digitizes full frame in 1/30 of a second, 1
field in 1/60 second; supports intedeave
frame recording
Call lor further details and pricing!
Dealer inquires welcome.
CALL 800-544-6599
SAFE HARBOR COMPUTERS
W226 NMO Eastmound Dr • Wautesha, \VI 531 Sd
VLAB Y/C External Works on all Araigas
RETINA Z2/Z3 4MB
Blazingly fast Zorro II or III display card;
create and play 8/16/24 anims; 1280x1024
non-interlace; embedded blitter
RETINA ENCODER
Provides SVHS and composite cytput for
Retina boards; internal and external units
available
RETINA SWITCH UOX
AllDv^s switching
3tween Retina
and Amiga
video; power
supply and
cables included
TOCCATA 16
ies 15-bit stereo direct to tiard
drive; plays 1-16 channels simultaneously;
reads SMPTE
circle 116 on Reader Service card.
September 1996
23
Software H ut ^'ga
. East Business Park 3 13 Henderson Dr Sharon Hilt, PA 19079
softhut@ixMetcom.com
Info 610.586<a703
Tech 6t0.58«'a8
FAX 610.586-571
ers 800-93-AMIGA
Hours; Mon-Fn 9 to 6
Sat 1 to 4 • Eastern
FAX 610-586-6416
• Ail our customers worldwide can now reach us by E-Mail. We always respond within 24 hours on
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Picasso 2 Plus
Jusi in is ihe NEW Picasso 2 boam
offering sama great grapfiics capabilities
& 25% lasler speeti. For all 2000. 3000,
& 4000 computers, Resolutions up to
1280if02'iw/25B colors.
S379.9S
OthBf Wlage Tmnit: prndupts:
Main Actor Professional $79.95
Main Actor Bioadcast 269.95
Ariadne 26900
Ami TCP/IP v-l.x 94,95
Picasso to 1030/tOM Cable 34,95
Liana Nelworli 89.95
Liana Network 5M 99.95
Monitors &
Motherboards
CDSB0Q1 Muiliscan - NEW Call
ASOOOIfiMzPCBw/IMli $319.95
A3D0D03D/25MzylMb
DesklOll PCB 37B.95
A300Q 03D/25Mz/1Mb
Toiwer PCB 429.95
A500Rbv5PCB 79.95
A500 f^sv EA PCB Bg.95
A3000iTDWsr Power Supply 129.00
H ighFlyer w/Power Supply S3o9 00
HigtiFlyerFanKil 42.95
HighFlyerCaWeKit 79.95
Dalanysr 500 SCSI 159.95
DalaFlyer 500 SCSI & IDE 189.95
DalaFlyerXDS1200 79.95
DatjFlyerSCSItlSOO 79.95
DalaFlyer SCSIt 4000 99.95
DaiaFlytr 2000s SCSI S9.85
DataFlyer 20flCe IDE 79.95
DalaFlyEr 2000 SCSI & IDE 139.95
DataFlyer 20OO BWb RAM Board
with OK 89.95
DataFlyer 500 SMb RAM Board
with OK 109-95
DataFlyer 4000SX SCSI Zorro 99.95
Call lor Dfber conllguralloAi.
Input Dericts
MMicajie Powtipliytn Joyitick $9.95
Compeiiiion Pro CD-32 Conlroller 24.95
The Bug IB.DO
PortRef 19.95
Alta Data Mega Mouse. 400 DPI 26.95
Alia Data CtYStal Tracliball 39.95
Aila Dalai Button l^ousi 27.95
Wiiard 5600PI Black 3 Bui Mouse 27.95
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CBM CD-32 Joypad 14.95
Logic 3 Action Joypad 19.95
Golden Image JP-1 00 Pen Mouse 19.95
Ekiipse Mouse w/Mouse Pad 1 9.95
Amitac Trackball 69.95
WICO Black Max Joystick 795
AnalOQje Joystick Adapter 1 1 ,95
4 Player Joystick Adapter 12,95
r ':- ' "J'-!M-.iW^VT^rSW^3Sl& ? -':
MM300 & MM400
Back in stock Itom SCALA: their award
winning, powerful, flexible & easy to use
multimedia presentation tools for the
Amioa. Murry, supplies are liirtitfld,
SCALA MM300 5144.95
SCALA MM400 199.95
SCALA MM400 upgrade lor
MM300 Qwners 69.95
SCALA Backgrounds
This is a pcofesslnnal collection of high
quality backgrounds lo bfl usetf with
SCALA MM30Q or 400. Specially priced
for a limhed lime only.
SCALA Backgrounds Volurre 2 St 9.95
SCALA Backgrounds Volume 3 19.95
'■
>
mifems, Mwopking
&lntepM
Cardinal 14.4 FAK Mot! en
S99.95
Sporlstsr 14.4 FAX Modem
124.95
Cardlnal2e.3 V.34 FAX Modem 1E9.0I) |
SpartilBr2B.E FAX Modem
224.95
SupraEtprast 2B.8 FAX Modem
159.(10
Slipri28.a FAX Modem V. 34
209.95
JB Comm TtrmiMi Sglmiii
5.00
Termite
39.95
Termite TCP
64.95
GPFiiSoltwari-CliHlii
59.95
Help Amiga Gel On I'nel Video
34.95
IBtowse
41.95
AWeb 2 w/KTML-Ktaven
44.95
Advanced
Amiga Analyzer
V 2.0 - $59.95
Special Offer
Bay a tardea manual lor your
computer, with |i'Urcha>B - $i2.9S
A
1 Iomega Zip ^
Zip Drive SCSI External
SZZ9.95
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19.95
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57.95
Zlp/JazTaalsSollwar«
24.95
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519,95
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619.95
IGtirsmovablg iJisk
129.95
Hard Drives
Wd carry a lull line o1 2,5' anil 3.5'
Hard Drives from Conner. Quantum,
Seagals, MIcropolls, & Maxtor.
Megachip A500/2000 S209,95
2632 RAM Board OK (or 2630 189,00
Cobra 1240 2aMlRC CPU 139,95
Cobra 1240 33MjRC CPU 154,95
Cobra 1 240 40W! FC CPU 199,95
The Clock AI200 17,95
Ferret SCSI-2 Cobra/Mongoose 89.95
Kwikstart 2 AlOOQ 54,95
1202 No FPU OK 99.95
FPU and RAM prices Call
SpitFire SCSI2 Controller 94 .95
RapidFireSCSI2/HAM Controller 149.00
WildFire 060 50Mz lot A2000 1499.00
3128 RAM Eip. AJHOOO OK 239.95
CD-ROM
All tha following CD-ROMi
carry M 1 Year Warranty
SQnyCDU-55CD-HOM
• ISD966I), Mufll-Setilon Phote-CD
• SCSI, Double Speed, Caildylett
Internal model
$79.95
External model
$139.95
NEC CDR-222 Quad Speed
CO-ROM Drive
• Quad Speed (4X), eooKb/Sec Access
• 120Mt Rind em Seek • 256K BuKer
• SCSI-2 •Caddylest
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$149.95
External model
$214.95
Sony CDU 76S Quad Speed
SCSI CD-ROM Drive
Iniernit model
$149.95
External model
$214.95
ASIM COFS CO-ROM Drl>» v3.i comet
«/Flsli Markit CD
$59.95
ASIM 3.x upgrade lor 2.0 cwnars
$42.95
Squirrel SCSI-2 PCMCIA Card S94.95
Surt Squirrel PCMCIA Card 139.95
Power Supplies i Expansion Boards
A2000 300W Power Supply S149-C0
Multilace III I/O Extender 99.D0
MegalosDund 49.95
Pro Midi 42,95
Warp Engine Call
Big Foot CD -32 Power Supply 79.95
•■
Custom Ch
}ips
1Mb Agnus 8372A
S34.9S
Super Denise 8373
29,95
CIA 9520 Chip
11,95
Gary 5719 Chip
13,95
Paula or Denise Chip
16.95
Lisa IC
39.95
Alice IC
39.95
Busier 5721 IC
29.95
Eproms2630Rev7
36.95
Epronis2091 Rev 7
34.95
1.3 ROM Chip
13.95
2.04 ROM Chip
22.95
2 05 RDM Chip
26.95
Guru ROW v6
71.95
Guru ROM v6A500/530Hn
82.95
W. D, SCSI Chip Bev BA
32.95
68000 CPU
16.95
CIA 8520 Surf. Mount Chip
23.50
Super Buster Rev 11
29.95
Amber IC
32.95
Ramsey Rev 7
29.95
Gary Surface Mount
42.95
Paula Surface Mount
42.95
Super Dmac Rev 4
42.95
Bridgetta
29.95
Video DAC
24.95
2.1 & 3.1 OS
From Village Tronic: Official 3.1
KItsI Eacli comes complete
w/Manuals, Disks i ROM(:).
AS32Q3.1 KilfortheABOO,
A2000, & A2500
$r24.95
AS330 3.1 KilforallASOOOs
$139.35
AS340 3.1 Kit for all A4000S
SI 39.95
AS31Z3.1 KitforallA1200s
SI 39.95
AS3DB3.1 Kit for all ABOOS
SI 24.95
3.1 R0MlorA500,A600,
A2000 (Specifyl 554,95
3.1 ROMseiforA300O.A4O0O.
At200|Specity| 74.95
3.1 Manuais i Disks (no ROM) 74.95
AS216 2.1 Kit from Commodore 52.95
AS2t6 2.t Kilw/2.04R0M 82.95
AS217AReiaJD0S Enhancer 14.95
M utS-Stan 2 v6A 500/600/2000 34 .00
J
1 Amiga Parts J
AlOOO Internal Floppy Disk Drive S69.95
AlOOO Case w/ail shielding
19.95
A200D/A3000 Keyboard
79.95
A500/I2D0 Internal Floppy Drive
69.95
A2OO0 Internal floppy Drive
69.95
A3000 Internal Floppy Drive
69.95
A2000 Power Supply
109.00
Amiga Replacement Mouse
19.95
Mouse tor COTV. wired - black
16.95
CBMA3000 Power Supply
139.95
Big1ootA4[)OOOPwrSy300W
269.95
aigloot A3000 Pwr Sy 3D01V
239.95
286 Bridgeboard PCB Only
69.95
CBM CDTV Control Pad
34.95
Casework 4000 (Spec Top or Bot.) 1 9.95 J
Memory
CPUs & FPUs
lx32 4Hb60N5
$69.95
2ii32 8Mb 60Ns
134.95
4x32 16Mb eONs
264.95
8x32 32Mb 60NS
499,95
IxBlMbBONs
24.95
1x4 Page Mode Zip 70Ns
15.0'3
1x4Stabc Mode Zip 70Ns
14,0']
33Mi 68030 CPU w/MMU
39.95
SOMi 68030 CPU w/MMU
89,95
33Mz6BBB2PGAFPU
39.95
33Mi 68882 PLCC FPU
44.95
40Mz 68040 CPU w/MMU
199.95
NewTek
Lightwave 4.0 Amiga 5729.95
Lightwave 5.0 Amiga Call
Lightwave 5.0 Intel 1099.95
Lightwave 5.0 tlpgratte Aniiga Call
LIg btwave 5.0 Upg rape Intel 469.95
Video Toaster 4.1 Upgrade CD 499.95
Video Toaster 4000 2079 95
Video Toaster Flyer 4195.00
]Ht configure coinplete Flyer tyslemt.
Call lor pricing.
YES, WE STILL
HAVE AMIGA
COMPUTERS
IN STOCKl
A600
NEW NTSC Computers. Boxed with all
parts & 90 Day Warranty. All 6005 come
with: Kindwords: Maxiplan 4; Intofile;
Theme Park Mysterv; & Public Domain
software. Supplies are very limited,
AeS)0 w/1Mb RAM - 5269.95
A6011Mb Chip RAM w/Clock
$69.95
AeOO w/6JMb Seagate HD
Installed -$369.95
A1200
Limited supply 01 NEW fJTSC At200
computers. Boxed, with all manuals, &
90 Day Warranty. All 1200s come with:
Deluxe Pai nt 4.5 AGA; Wordswo tth AGA
SE: PrintManaper; Dennis and Oscar.
A12D0 w/2Mb - $SB9.95
A120aw/aiDMb Seagate HD
Installed - $9S9.00
A120a w/ESMb Seagate KD
Installed -$6S9.95
A4000T
We are pleased to annouoce that we are
distributing the complete product line
for Amiga Technologies. We currently
have in stock Ihe ^EW A4000 Towers.
All Amiga Technologies products have a
1 Year AT Warranty.
A4000T
040/251Vlz/6IVll3/1GbHD
$2699.00
We also toriljgure additional RAM. Hard
Drives. CO-RDMs. and compleie Toaster
and Fly6r systems.
Phase 5
Blirzard 1260 Turto Board 5879.95
Bli«ard2060w,'SCSI 95900
Bl Izzard 1 230-4 w/50Mz CPU 289.95
Bllmrd t230or 1260 SCSI Mod. 189.95
CyherGraphx Scltware 59.00
Cyt)ers!orm 060 Mk2 3000/4000 999.00
Cybersiorm SCSI 274.95
Cybervision 64 Z3 2Mb 399.95
Cytiervision 64 Z3 4Mb 489.95
We are proud to be distributing these
fine boards trom Geimany's leading
hoard manutacturer. We now have all
their products in stock
Hi-Density
Floppy Drives
3,5Mb Super XL Ext. Drive $209.95
Poor Computing l,76XLInt,
lorA4000 124.95
Power Computing 1,7EXL Ell. 194.95
Info 610-586-5703 #%MJi,#*,M**
Tech 610-586-8640 fJlQGrS
F«( 610-586-5706/6416 __- -,-.-. m^mm^
Hours: Mon-Fri 3 to 6 Kn0-Q!i2-nad2
Software Hut
1 CDJPMiCPTiiCD-32SALE J
Disks v/Dlk w/CDTV. CD-3!. A-570 & sny
Ami^i w/CB-ROM drive t, sailablo diiver. Pmdase 4. or more. S leceim FKE SHIPPING.
3D Arena
S37.95
Eyes of Ihe Eagle
9,00
Network CD 2 by Weird Science
22,95
3D Backgrounds
27.95
Ft Licenseviare
39.95
Nelwork Cable CD32 to Amiga
30.00
3D CD-2 Images
14.95
Fantjseas
25.95
New Basics Electronic Cookbook
15.00
3D CD-I Dbjecis
49.95
FlyerCOM
249.00
Nothing but GIFs
18-95
3D Texlures
27.95
Fractal frenjy
24.95
Nothing but Tetris
14.95
17BilConlinualionCD
15,95
Fractal Pro Image Library
19-95
Octamed 6
34.95
17 BilSth Dimension
22.95
Fresh Fish 8, 9 (Specify)
18.00
Octamed Sound Studio
39-95
17 Bit Phase 4
15.95
Fresh Fonis Vol 2
24.00
OhYes... MoreWormsl
19.95
17 Bit 2 CD Collection
24.95
Froien Fish 6/95
19.00
OnLine Library
26.00
17Blt&LSDComp. >.2 (Spec)
15.95
Fun School 3 - Ages 5 and under
10.00
Our Solar System
18.00
17BilSLSDComp. 3
22.95
Gamer's Delight
34.00
Paperbag Princess
10.00
Ttie 64 Games CD
39.95
Gamer's Delight Z
27.95
Personal Sutie Irom Ctoanto
S9-95
1078 Weird Textures
19.95
Garden Fax: Fruits, Vegs, Herbs
9.00
PhotoCO Manager
33-95
2000 Greater Mysteries
29.95
Garden Plants
9.00
Phologenics 2
Call
A Lang Hard Day on Ihe Ranch
9.00
Indoor Plants
9.00
Power Pin ball
10.00
Advanced Military Systems
6.00
Gardening Handbook
18.00
Pro Pics
24.95
AGA ExfiBriencg
24.95
Gateway
18.95
Psycho Killer
8.00
AGA Experience 2
26,95
Gateway 2
19.95
SFX Volume 1, 2 (Spatify)
29.00
American Herilafle III. Dictionary
12.00
GIF Galaxy
26.00
Scene Storm
26.95
Amiga CD Sensation 1 - Demos
15.95
GIF Gallery Vol 1
22.00
Sci Fi Sensation v2
28.95
Amiga Developer CO vl.1
19.95
GIFs Galore
8.95
Software 2000
36-95
AmiNel Share -1
7.50
GIF Sensation
24.95
Solar System Kit lor LW
64.95
AmiNet Set 1
36.95
Giga Graphics
39.95
Sound & GRX Library
28.95
AmiNet Set 2
36.95
Global Amiga Experience
28.95
Sound FX Sensation
21-95
AmiNet Set 3 NEW
39.95
Gold Fish 2. 3 (Specilyl
19.95
Sounds Terrihc 1, 2 (Specify)
25.00
AmiNet 3
4.00
Graphics Plus
1B.0O
Spact! & Astronomy
21.00
AmiNet *
7.00
Graphics Sensations
24.95
Spectrum Emulator 1996
27.95
AmiNet 5, 6
12.00
Grolier's Encyclopedia 2
39.95
Spods Football CD-32
6-00
AmiNet 7. 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 (Specify) 19.00
Guiness Book of World Reconjs
9.95
Strip Poker
12.95
AmiNet 13 NEW
19.95
Gutenberg Project
19.00
Surface Pro & Pro Textures Combo
55.95
AMOS PO Library 1.2 (Specify)
25.00
Horror Sensation
26.95
Super Fonts
19.00
Anime Babes
13.95
Hottest 4. 5 (Specify)
26,95
Syndesis 3D ROM vf , v2 (Specify)
79.95
Arcade Classics Plus
23.95
Hottest 6
24.95
Tales of Peler Rabbit
10.00
Artwonc
12.95
Hound of tfie Baskervilles
8,00
Ten on Ten (10 CDs)
49.95
Assassins Games
a.95
Humanoid LWor Imagine (Spec)
159,95
Texture Gallery Vol 1
27-95
Assassins Games 2
22,95
llluslratBd Worts ol Shakespeare
14.00
Texture Heaven
7.50
Audio PItIS
18.00
ImaoeVision
184-95
Texture Heaven 2
12.95
Barney Bear Goes to School
a.oo
Inslgbl Technology
12.95
That's Games 1 , 2 (Specify)
25.00
BCInet 1.2 (Specify)
fl.95
Interrtet's Avalon CD-ROM
44.95
Time Table ol History: 1991 Edihons
Beauty of Chaos Fractal!!
19,95
Internet Info
24.95
Business, Politics & Media
15.00
Bible & Religion
17.00
Kara Fonts Complete Colleclion
89.95
Science & Innovations
15.00
Blanker Colleclion
22,95
Lasi Ninja 3 CD-32
6.00
Town With No Name
5,00
C64 Sensations Volume 2
25.95
Light ROMS
22.95
Turt)oCalc2.1 CD
14.95
CD Boot
39.95
Light ROM 3 (3 CDs)
39.95
Universal 3D ROM
137,95
CD Caddy
6.00
Light Works
28.95
Ullimedial & 2 (2 CDs)
21,95
CDPD1
B.OO
Magic Illusions 3D Stereograms
14.95
Uhlities Experience HFA
19.95
CD PD 2, 3, 4 (Specify)
24.00
Magic Publisfier
49.95
Utilities Votime 2
29,95
CD Write
42.95
Magic Workbench Enhai^cer
26.95
Video Gem
85,00
Ctiaos Engine CD-32
6.00
Maximum MOOs Volume 1
25.95
Visions
24,96
Cinderella: The Orrflinal Fair^ Tale
9.00
Meeting Reads 3
13-95
Visual FX 1,2 (Specify)
99.00
Clip An & Foms
9.95
Mega IMedia 2
le.oo
Weird Science Clip Art
14.00
Clipart Warehouse 1 . 2 (Specify)
18.00
Micro RID Volume 1
25,00
Weird Science Fonts
14.00
Cookbook Heaven 2
19,00
Micro R4D Volume 2
4000
Wcitd Science Animations
25-00
Colour Library
15.95
Micro R&D Volume 2
t4,95
Weird Science Demo Mania 1
20.00
Corporate Video BackgrCLods
124.95
Micro R4D Volume 4
15-95
Weird Science UPD Gold
39.95
OaiaMln
16.00
Micro R&D Volume 5
44.00
i^omen In Motion
9-00
da Capo Mods ii Sounds
27.00
Mind Run -CDTV ONLY
7.00
Workbench Add On
32.00
Demo CD 1, 2 (Specify)
24.00
MODS Anthology
36,95
World Atlas Irom Wisedrome
39.95
DIllintSuniS.DICDNEW
99.95
Movie Maker Special FX 1
59.95
World Inio
45.95
EMC-Phase 1,2, 3 (Specify)
33.95
Moving Gives Me a Slomacf^ Ache
9,00
World ol Clipart Plus
22.95
EMC-Pfiase4
Can
Moving Textures 100. 200 (Spec)
239,00
World of GIF 2
22.00
Emulators Unlimited Plus
26.95
Mud Puddles
10.00
World of Photo
19.95
Encounters: The UFO Phenomenon 16.95
Multimedia Mega Bundle
24,00
World of Sound
18.95
Epic Collection
26.95
Multimedia Toolkit 2 (2CDs)
36,95
Wrath of the Demon
5.00
Eric Scfiwartz CD-Arctiive
21-95
Music MODs & Sound Samples
8.95
XiPainI 4.0
64.95
EutoScene
fl.95
NetNews Offline Volume 1
16.95
Zoom Release 2
34.95
EaroScene 2
18,95
NetworV CD b/ Weird Science
22.95
Alfa Data
AKaPower Plus IDE HD Cpntraller
to 8Mb RAIVI: $149.95
for A500/500t New 72 pin SIMfvIs
Alfa Power Plus w/613MbHD $369.95
Call for other conflguiatlgni
M-TEC
Germany
MTec AT 500 No HD $149.95
MTec AT 500 613Mb HO 36995
MTec A500 2Mb RAM Module 139.95
MTec B8020I Turto A500 OK 99.95
A5BB Ptripherals
BigFool200WP.S.-A5OO-600-l200 S84 95
Commodore A500 Power Suppfy 4995
A500 Case complete w/shielding 17.95
A5C0 Internal Replacement Drive 44.95
A500 Keyt)oard 44.95
External Floppy Drive 8G0K 8900
A501 RAM Expansion Board 33.95
CBH Senlc) Manuals
A500 Service Manual J14.95
A500* Service Manual 19-95
A2DC0 Rev 4.x Service Manual 22.95
A3000 Desktop Service Manual 24.95
A3000 Tower Serwce Manual 26 95
10B4SD1 Service Manual 14,95
1950 or 1960 Service Manual (Spec) 19.95
2091 Sen/ice Manual 12.95
Prog's Guide 10 ARexxw/Disk 14.95
A2060/A2065/A2232 Serv. Man, 12-95
A590HDSennce Manual 14.95
COTV Srvice Manual 17.95
Repairs &
Installations
We realize tfie ilifliculty many Amiga
users have in finding reliable and
fioncst service facilities. We have
been wilfi Ifie Amiga right from the
start and know it IhorouQhly. We
repair all Amigas. Including the
A12DD and A40aO. We also Install
and configure existing mai:hines. We
offer reasonable rales and free
estimates, We only charge you if you
want your system repaired ', Please
call ou! Tech line at 61 0-5B6-S640
let details on sending in your
system.
* Actual return shipping charges do
apply to all units sent in to our location.
PraduelMtf ■ milllles
Address h 11,5
$26-95
AmiPC Power Mouse Soltware
18,95
AmigaVision Clips »1 SFX
8,95
AmigaVision Professional
24,95
Artworks Clip An Library
22-95
AWeb 2 w/HTHL Heaven
44,95
Batch Factory
49,00
Bill! Basic 2.1
G9.00
Brilliance 2,0
124,95
Caligari 24
139.00
Checks & Balances
3800
Cinema 4 O/Magic Link
24900
Composiie Studio Pro
149.95
Control Tower
139,95
Cross DOS v6
4695
Cross MAC
79,00
Decision Maker
199,00
Desktop Magic
28-95
Desktop Magic Sound/Art Pack
14.95
Digital Universe
124.95
Directory Opus 5
7900
DirWork 2
59.00
Disk Expander
37,95
Disk Magic
54,95
Disney Animation Studio
39,95
Distant Suns 5,01 Floppy
57,95
DJ Helper 2
59.00
Easy Ledgers 2
149 95
EnPrinI 2 Epson Stylus Color Driver
34 95
Family Connections
34,00
Fiber Factory
79,95
Final Catc
134,95
Final Data Release 3
59 00
Final Writer Rel 5
112.95
Final Writer Lite
59.95
Fractal Pro 6, lOw/FPlLv1 CD
85.00
GameSmith Developmenl Syslem
78.00
GeoMorph (,0
49.95
Gigamem 3,x
58,95
HiSolt Basic 2
94,95
IBrowta
41,95
Image F/X 2.6
239,95
Imagine 3,0
23900
ImageMastar R/T
69,00
Impact! lor Lightwave
21995
InfoNexus 2 w/DataMexus
59,95
Interior Construction
69,00
Interior Design 2, or 3 (Specify)
38,00
Intemational Flow Cliartef
33,95
Invoice It 1.2
34,95
Link It!
49,95
Magic Lamern v2
94.00
Make Path 2.10
29.95
Master ISO from ASfMwafe
174.95
Mavis B*acon Teaches Typiing 2
24.95
MaiDOS 2-5
79.00
Motion Master LW (Spec v1 or v2)
114.95
Music X 2.0
69.95
OcUMEDProvfi
59.95
OnlheBallvl.5
35.00
Path Finder
99.00
Pegger2,Q
29.95
PC-Task v3,l
129.95
Phologenics
84.95
Piiicl3DPro2,x
89.95
Power Macros/Lightwave
89.95
ProVeclor3
179,00
Quarterback 6.1
49,95
Quarterback Tools Deluxe 2.02
49,95
Quarteiback* Tools Bundle
89,95
Road Signs
44,95
SAS(C 6.51
159.95
Scape Maker 4
39.95
Scenery Animalor 4,0
56-95
SIGH-Lighl 5.4
24,95
Snap Maps: Building Maienals
124.95
Snap Maps: Fields & Foliage
124.95
Son Talk
7.50
Sparks
119.95
Squirrel Zip/Jaz Tools
24-95
Studio Printer 2 v2,1
94.95
SuparHP-DJC3orHP-U4(SpEc)
37.95
Surlace Pro
55.95
Termite TCP
64.95
Terra Form 2,10
29.95
Turbo Calc 3,5
64.95
TRurbo Prim 4,1
84.95
TVText Pro
19.95
Twist 2 Relational Database
119.95
Upper Disk Tools
25,95
Video Backup System
69,00
Visla Pro 3,05
49,95
Wave Mailer 2.0
179,95
Wipe Studio
137.95
World Construction Set vt
158.95
World Construction Set v2
368-95
Games (or Amiga & CD-32
Aladdin AGA $24.95
Alien Breed 30 AGA/CD'32 (Specify) 39.95
Alien Breed 30 2 AGA/CD-32 (Speedy) 41. 95
Alrophy AGA/CD-32 (Spaecily) 34,95
Beau Jolly Compilation 24,95
Blit; Bombers ECS/AGA/CD-32 (Spec) 37,95
Breathless AGA 34,95
Civilization EOS or AGA (Specily) 24,95
Coala - for all accelerated Amigas 37,95
Colonization 36,00
The Clue (CD-32) 16,95
Defender of the Crown 2 CD-32 1 6,95
Dungeon Master 2 AGA 42,95
Exile AaA/CD-32 (Specify) 37.95
Exile ECS 24.95
Extreme Racing AGA/CD-32 (Specify) 37.95
Fears AGA/CD-32 (Specify) 37.95
Gloom CD-32 24,95
Gloom Deluxe Amiga 39,95
Gloom Data Disk AGA 17,95
Humans 3 AGA 39.95
Lion King AGA 24,95
Master Axe ECyAGA (Specify) 34,95
Odyssey Amiga 34.95
Odyssey CD-32 37.95
Overiord ECS/AGA 24.95
Pinball Illusions AGA7CD-32 (Spec) 37,95
Pinball Mania AGA 37,95
Pinball Prelude ECS/AGA (Specily) 34,95
Pole Position ECS/AGA (Specify) 34,95
Road kill CD-32 17.95
Sensible Golf Amiga 37.95
Sensible Worid of Soccer 95/96 34.95
Shadow Rghter ECS/AGA (Specify) 1 9,95
Shadow Fighter CD-32 39,95
Slam Till AGA 34,95
Eperis Legacy AGA/CD-32 (Specify) 37,95
Star Crusader CD-32 42,95
Super Skidmartis ECS/CD-32 (Spec) 34,95
Super Skidmarks OUs Disk AGA 1 9,95
Super Stardust AGA/CD-32 (Spec) 34,95
Super Tennis Champs Amiga 34.95
Tlieme Parii ECS/AGA (Specify) 44.95
Viro Cops ECS/AGA (Specify) 29.95
Virtual Kaning AGA 26.95
Watch Tower AGA 34.95
Worms Amiga/CD-32 (Specify) 39.95
XP8AGA 38.95
Amiga Books
At 200 & CD-ROM Need to Know $29,95
Internet. Modems* Comms 29.95
Uhimate AMOS 28.95
ROM Kernel: Devices 3rd Edition 27.00
ROM Kernel: Inc. & A'docs 3rd Ed, 36.00
Exploring Lightwave 3D 52.99
Complete Post-Prod. w/B. Wilson 24,95
FX Kit for Lightwave 33,95
Power FX for LW 5.0 27,95
Viileo Products
PertPRilAnim. Recorder. Amiga Gill
Personal TBC 4 $629.00
RocGen Plus Genlock 199,00
Vidi Amiga 24 RT 269-95
Vidi Amiga 24 HT Pro 379.00
VLab Y/C imeinai Call
VLab Y/C External Call
More titles are avatfable. PltaxB call.
Utilities
Unlimited
Emplant Deluxe $349,95
Emplant AMIA Interlace 55.00
Mac Emulation Pro for Empfant 34.95
e5e6DX Module lor Emplam 119.95
We proudly announce 2 NEW soltware
emulation packages that allow you to
run all Mac software on your Amiga.
Mac Lite $67.95
Emplant A1 200 &CD32
w/SXUfllt 54.95
Circle 119 on Reader Service card.
tnfo 6t0'586-S703 ^M«i^&HC
Tech 61 0-586-8640 %^ r OerS
FAX 610-586-5706 QtM\ QOO Ci
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Software Hut
lAM
GVP-M
Falcon 040/25Mz Accelerator
Fasicst tor Ihe Al 200. UporadbiB to 060
1 Game Software Blowout
Connect Your Amiga! A GuidG to
Adventures ol Willy Beamish
$12.95
Killing Cloud
8.95
the InlerNel, LANs BBSt, &
$499.9S
Agony
11.95
Joe Blade
3.95
Online Services
Falcon SCSI-2 Option - 559.95
Amaiing Spiderman
4.95
Leander
11.95
$34.95 for book only, or
A2II0a 030 Combo
Amnios
Aquaventura
11.95
8.95
Lemmings 2 - Tbe Tribes
Math Blaster Plus
19.95
12 95
$49.95 w/ S disk set
40M; CPU & FPJ, W/SCSI. OK RAM
AtuminQ
9.95
MegaTraveller 2
14.95
described below
expandable to ^6Mb.
Blade Warrior
9-95
MighlSMagic3
14.95
5429.95
Bob's Bad Day
5.95
Mortal Kombat
14.95
Connect Your Amipal
Cart Lewis Challenge
11.95
Dh No! More Lemmings - Add On
5.95
Eigltl Disk Set
NEW060T-RBX2
Carmen Ssn Diego • World
7,00
Power Styx
3.95
$27.00 for dlmks only
A4000, A4000T, A3000T board-
Chamber of Sci Uulint Priestess
11.95
Prime Mover
6.95
060/50MI w/SCSI-2 controller,
Clever & Smart
2.9S
Rambo 3
4.95
Dies 3.2 -$a9.95
expandable to 128Mb RAM. Supports
Clown-0-Mania
4,95
Red Zone
11.95
normal 72 pin SIMMs.
Covert Action
4,95
Rings ol Medusa
4.95
IMRBacl(U|)2.5 -$59.95
$1199.95
Curse ot !lM Aiure Bonds
10.95
Roadkill A1200
9.95
Dino Wars
6,95
Sink or Swim
7.95
Disit Salv 4 - Tiie ulttfnate Amiga
A2DI10 060/SDMZ Combo
Double DraQon 2
2,95
Skyblaster
2.95
disk utility - 534.95
Same features as T-Rex 2 above.
Draoonstone
11,95
Space Quest 4: Roger Wilco
14.95
$999,95
Dream Web
12,95
Subwar 2050 AGA
16,95
Amiga Envoy 2.Gb - Peer to peer
networidng- 554.95
GVP RAM Modules 60Hj
Elite 2: Frontier
Espana Games
14,95
8.95
Table Tennis
Targban
4.95
4.95
4Mb ■ $124.95
F29 HeUliator
12,95
Teenage Mutant Ninia Turtles
7.95
TliD Deathbed Vigil tOltier Tales
16Mb -5379.95
Fields ol Glory AGA'Ca-32 Spec
Flames ol Freedom
14.95
4.95
Telris
Theme Park Mystery
7,95
3.95
ol Angst • 2 traur video • $25.00
DSS B Plus 3.0 Soltware 529 55
Glodbuie
8.95
Top Gear 2
12.95
Me9aBall4-$24,95
lOOBSCSI-ZConlrollEr 139.85
l/0E«ender-2Seria[, 1 Par. 119.00
Greens 3D Golf
Gunshool
4.95
295
UFO Enemy Unkom ECS/AGA (Specll6.95
Wings 11.95
IHAVEMegaBallslT-Shlrt
L or XL (Specify) - 514.95
A2000 040/40 G-Force 824.95
A4000 040/40 Accelerator 849.95
Gunship2O0OCD-32 14.95
Hill Street Blues 3.95
Impossible Mission ECS/(;032 Spec 14.95
Wtz 'n' Liz
World Trophy Soccer
11.95
6.95
Software Hut Proudly Announces the
American Distribution of Bruce Smitti Boolcs
Featuring the Most Current Amiga Info
Total! AMIGA amigados by Bruce Smitti, 416 pages - Aimeil at ttie beginner,
tills book uses a friendly modular approach witti simple programs tor you to
enter and try. Easily go tfom novice to seasoned user. Written by the world's
top selling Amiga author. For Amiga DOS 3.x
529.95
Total! AMIGA assembler by Paul Overaa. 512 pages - Assuming familiarity
with the Amiga, this book introduces Machine Code in a straighttorward and
easy to read lastiion with many examples. Topics include: GadTools and ASL
libraries. Written by the well known Guru at C. for Amiga DOS 2 4 3.
S30.SS
Total! AMIGA workbench by Bruce Smith, 416 pages - Assuming no prior
knowledge, this reader-friendly book will quickly have you using Workbench 3
to Its full potential. Covers: recoverable RAM disks; hard drive usage; copying
with a single drive; copying files; & more.
52S.95
Mastering Amiga Beglnnsri by Bruce Smith & Mark Webb - This book
doesn't promise to make you an expert but it will give you the esscniial
foundations from which you can progress. Step by step advice on specific
subjects is balanced with general advice on all major subjects on the Amiga.
529.95
Mastering Amiga D0S3 Reference by Mark Smiddy - A full reference guide
to over 140 commands. Also contains details on Mountlist, Amiga DOS Error
Codes, AmigaGulde, IFF, Commodolles, and much more.
$31.95
Mastering Amiga Script! by Marl? Smiddy - Contains over 100 ready to run
scripts tor all Amigas, Programs are fully documented, line by line, so you
can learn and pick up new techniques and twists.
$29,95
Mastering Amiga Programming Secrets by Paul Overaa - Learn how to
achieve stunning sound, color, and scroiling effects in your programs by
using Amiga's special graphics and custom chips.
531.95
Mastering Printers by Robin Burton - Be able to choose the best printer for
your requirements. The Amiga's printer conlrol software is pulled apart and
fully explained from all points of view, from Workbench to OS routines.
529.95
Ainlga A1200 Insiiier Guide by Bruce Smith - Ther best-selling guide to
Workbench and AmigaDOS on the A1200. It covers everything from
formatting disks S copying files to Preferences and commodities. Discover
such new features as Intellifonls, using CrossDOS with MS-DOS, and
configuring sound.
$25.95
Amiga A1200 Noit Stops Insider Guide by Peter Fitzpatrick - Explains how to
choose, install & manage a hard drive, use UultlView & Amoga DOS and how
10 best improve storage and display. It introduces video & graphic editing,
making music, programming, & more.
525.95
Amiga Dislis anil Drive: by Paul Overaa - Learn to use and care for alt types
of disks and drives to improve your understanding and to maximize their
usefulness. Topics include formatting, disk repair, back-up, RAD, SCSi, CDs,
copying and moving files, encryption and security. For all Amigas.
525.95
Amiga Assembler Insider Guiile by Paul Overaa - Want to learn Assembly
language but don't know your InluiMessage from your Null terminated siring?
With easy-to-follow examples & instructions this book explains & demystifies
the jargon. Applicable to a!l Amigas, it comes with a free disk which includes
the PD A69k assembler & programs from the book.
525.95
Workbench 3 A lo Z Insliier Guide by Bruce Smith - Every aspect of
Workbench is documented wilh screen shots and examples ot usage. Once
you become familiar this Invaluable reference will prove Invaluabte.
525.95
Amiga BASli: - A Oabhand Guiiie by Paul Fellows • This book Is a substantial
Introduction to BASIC. A BASIC is also provided and is packed with some of
the cleverest routines around.
52^.95
Secrets of Sim City ZOCIO by Andrew Banner - Enjoying Sim City 2000 is
about experimenting, planning, strategy and lateral thinking, deviousness, and
sometimes cheating. This is a complete guide to getting the best from 2000.
Can
Secrets of Frontier Ellle by Tony Dillon - This is a handbook for any budding
pilot who wants to become Elite, or just Incredibly rich. Packed tull of
strategy, hints, tactics, and secrets. For Elite afficionados.
Call
Coming Soon: Total! Amiga C & Total! Amiga AREXX
^
Commodore
Cioseouts
Amiga Pfodiiets
COTV T-Shirt w/Wagazins
S1295
286 Bridgeboard - PBC Only
24.95
2088XT BridBeboard Complete
29,95
A500 User Manual
5,95
AC Power Coid
6.95
A40C0 Top Case
7.95
A4000 Bottom Case
7.95
A40flO Front Bezel
9.95
A4000 Metal Plate tor fODs/5.25
9.95
AmigaVision Professional
24.95
Texlcralt Plus
7.95
Amiga Gill Bundle
7.95
Amiga Starter Bundle
7.95
Amiga Discovery Bundle
6-95
At 000 Power Supply
12.95
TV Teirt Pro/DPaInt 3 Bundle
12.95
ASOO Shield
6.95
RK Manual Libraries i Devices v1 7.95 j
A1000RF Cable
4.95
CDTV Keyboard
59.95
A1200 User Manual
5.95
A4OO0 User Manual
7,95
CBM EJynamils Bundle
49,95
CUmtProiucli
Ribbon MPSI230
$7.00
Ribbon 801
7.00
Ribbon 803
7.00
Iconlroller
12.95
128Mot)iirboard
39.95
1280 Motherboard
39.95
1541 PCB Alps
19.95
1541 PCBNewlronics
19.95
1541-2 PCB
16.95
1670 Modem
14.95
128D Keyboard
19.95
1280 Power Supply nOv
24.95
128D Power Supply 240v
Call
C-64 HO Power Supply
24.95
1S71 PCB
24.95
1571 Drive Assembly
29.95
1541 Drive Assembly
24.95
1541-2 Orive Assembly
24,95
C-64CMothirt>oard
34.95
1581/1541-2 Power Supply
14.95
C-12B RGB Monitor Cable
8,95
PC-10 Keyboard
29.95
You can now visit Sollware Hut
at our site on the World Wlcta
Well: www.sontiut.com
Our Policies
No wailing tar your orders to sNp. Odets
in by 2PM go out tfis same d3y. Second
Day & OvewigM shipping is available.
Inlernalional orders ship by Air Parcel
Post or UPS Express. Domestic orders
ship by UPS OF Airborne Express.
' All orders are sisl)ject to credit card
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r®
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Master Card, American Express, &
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ship COO, accepting Cash, Cerlilied
Chsck. or Money Order. Minimum COD
order is $50.00. Software and
accessories shipping is S6,00, Hardware
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tor Uanilors. Call lor larger items. COO
add $5.00. Canadian. APO. &
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lor another item. Ship;)ing charges are
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e COdyngFil 1^. ImUiuctii iFi.AJ Ri^RtarvHJ
amiga telecommunications
Frustrated with your attempt to
connect to the Web?
Try a trip to Miami!
•■liBjtg
PIMM enter sne ns-ne ^.nci airt tvunber of your senai device driver i:i tr;e c^eagctj t eisv
';■ i'^' :: "^ : ■ : 'i^t '«rlalUevica'. Hisatsopcsi*)!^ ■■
■■ir-.-n :■,-.' -- ■;■ :■■ :«> that *£C«SJMT'ia] boards such .s:
You imtM NOT uM "sm UMai' at IHs Ume shcugn, Mcat»« <if busi m Ihg device.
The unit number- a usually o^ but nuy be dffef ent for isha boards thai support multiple ports
Figure 1 (top). Miami is so easy 1o use, tliat in less tlian five minutes, you con be
using your favorite Web Browser on the World Wide Web.
Figure 2 (bottom). Your first step is to run the tvliamilnit program wtiich opens a
series of windows with text gadgets for you to fill In.
Suppose I told you that there is a
program available for your Amiga that
Avould connect you to your local
Internet Service Provider with one
click? And suppose I told you that this
program eliminates the need to have
.A.MiTCP/IP, ppp, and their support-
ing programs on your hard drive?
Suppose further that I told you this
program was so easy to use, that less
than five minutes after unpacking the
archive, you can be using your favorite
Web Browser on the World Wide
Web? There is a new way to get to the
Internet on your Amiga; by way of
Miami.
Miami
No, 1 don't need a lesson in
geography, and you do not have to
dial the 305 area code. Miami (Figure
1) is a new program package from
Holger Kruse, programmer of the
ppp. device. As of this writing (mid-
July), the fourth public beta version
has just been released, and it is nothing
short of amazing. None of the above
statements arc exaggerations, and if
you have been struggling to install and
configure AmiTCP/IP, you ^sall lo\'e
this program.
The first step after unpacking the
archive to a drawer on your hard drive
is to run the Miamilnit program. This
opens a series of windows with text
gadgets for you to fill in (Figure 2 and
3). This includes information such as
the phone number of your ISP, what
September 1996 27
VicAb^th W^^-^
Worte anch
Pteflse enter some ir-ifDrmaiwri .atHDut ya^jf Inler net provider ■■
1 . Tfw type of IP a^cfress, (VS*^ provifiera ajjign d/nsfnic IP addrcHea *o Ther cuitomrrs, t.e you get a
cLfferenl ari<Sre« e«:t> tirrie ^-ou tog in tn itus c^e sifect ^ctyT>ffinic', If your fnterrwt proYxiar has MwgnKi
a fL-:ed, dedtcaled IP addres's to your Aiwga 5e*ect 'slatf end enter ^ IF addrew in the gadiget (o Ihe
ri^t. If yew are using one of Uw TCP/IP enM*tioo program? 'SSnp' er TJ A' pte«e setecl 'Sfcrp' or 'T lA'
2. The protocol type h*ani(SA*)portsPPPand(C>SLIP. tf your tntemot prownJer supports both and Wa you
cho««, ihtn PPP to recOTifn*xied becjwM of easier conflgurahon.
3 Your login name and password, vhKrh c5n be used n Ihe *aJ Kr^t, and arc 3ix uKd for PAPAJW k
part of the PPP protocol
I workpeocn screen
Dtamg
Tgjjg^
Abort 1^ iS^Jer .^isi return to Ihe peevKXiS page.
"Qrifre'^ Ofsce you have tos^d "ito yo'J*' service providsr .start SLIP/CSI.JP/PPP
there and ttren cick on X^ane' to start asPAiSLJP/rPP protect mode ri
frtamstrvt. For PPP Ksrwciions you atltn do rot even have to dick on *Orthe'-
Nbamifrrt rpcograzea by UsaJf -T^-tier^ PPP ties been started on yow Mrvsce
provider"* i^acnirft
■fiend Bre*': Send a 2Sd ms isreat!
■SondLotj^dV^SentfPttuvonl'. Sand yo^ prevtoualy derbied login Id or
psasword PJeaie riote that you stwuld NOT type your togin id Or password
mfirfUiilly into its diater. bec*jse olherwiao Miamiinrt voUd later be urwiite tc
generate a p^-oper tfeJ script for you, Alvayj use the ixittom 'Serd io^ id ' ar..i
'Send Passvord' to send your iogirt id/paaevord durtig dj^ng.
PSeaw cffCk c*i 'tSal' 'wften you are ready
C<ncei<fn
Onhne(f;)
Hang up (f3)
J.
Ciat neM (f^>
Send Brea^. {f6>
Figure 3 (top). More text gadgets from the Miamilnit program.
Figure 4 (middle). You can chioose your model of modem from a list of over 50 sets
wliicli creates the appropriate initialization siring.
Figure 6 (bottom). Mlamllnit dials your provider and queries llie server for
information, such as domain names, name server IP numbers, and more.
You can send an
Archie search
out to find the
file for you,
then retrieve it
with a few
nnouse-clicl<s-
t\'pe of connection they provide, user
id and password, etc. Choosing your
model of modem from a list of over 50
sets the appropriate initialization
string (Figure 4). At the end of this
process, Miamilnit dials your provider,
queries the server there for informa-
tion, such as domain names, name
server IP numbers, and more (Figure
5). This process also creates the script
that will be used for future sessions.
This script will dial, and log you into
your provider, and initiate the ppp
connection.
After this first test, the program
will disconnect the modem, and create
a file. The first time you start the main
Miami program, you load this file, and
then save it to create the settings for
the program to use. Now whenever
you click the online gadget in the main
Miami window, everything will be
automatically taken care of for you.
The registered version e\'en allows
ARexx scripts to be started by various
Miami events, so that you could have
your favorite Browser started for you
upon connection.
All of the various configuration
settings are available through a GUI
(Figure 6), which means there are no
more obtuse script files to try to edit.
So if your provider changes the
required sign on protocol, or you get a
new modem, with a few button-clicks
you will be back on line. One of the
options available is an activity
simulator (Figure 7). If your provider
automatically disconnects after a set
period of inacHvity, Miami can be set
up to automatically send a signal often
enough to keep you connected.
28 Amazwg Computing
16mb 60ns simm$1 59.95 20S 223 "IIO'T' 4 mb 60ns simm $49.95
R rod uctivity I Magazines
Multi-Media Software
$179:95^
(All magazines are from Brilian unless
olherwise noted)
Amazing Amiga(US) 3.95
Amiga Computing 10.95
Amiga Format 9.95
Amiga Format CD 12.95
Very Limited QuantitiesIliCALL!!
9.95
8.95
10.00
9.95
(US)
2.50
^Scala MM 300
Scala Art Library
Volume 2 or 3 each $29.95
Main Actor Professional
Great (or Animators $99.95
Tal<e 2 - Used by top
Animation Studios $129.95 J
Great software for
Home or Business
' Final Writer IV $119.95 ^
Photogenics v1 .25 $89.95
Mow wori(S with any Amiga w/2mb Chip
Ram, OS3.0+, 68020 or higher CPU
GPFax $54.95
Twist 2 $129.95
V ,
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Amiga Power
Amiga Shopper
Amiga User Inf I
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Informer Bi-Monthly
Great new magazine
Northwest Amiga Journal
(US) 2.50
' Zoom 2 - In-Stock ^
Finally, It is here. Better than
ever! 99% ready-to-run and
hard drive installable. $34.95
E
<
(D
CD-Roms
AGA Experience 2 34.95
Aminet 12,13 19.95
Aminet Set 3 49.95
CD Developer 24.95
Epic Collection 2 24.95
F1 Licenseware 54.95
Giga Graphics 4CD 39.95
Magic Publisher 69.95
(Final Writer 4se S Wordsworth 4 td,
over 10,000 fonts including Japanese,
5000 cliparts. and 1 50 printer drivers)
^oloziation ECS 34.95
Civilization ECS 39.95
Gloom Deluxe ECS 39.95
Shadow Fighter 39.95
V ^
ECS(above) AGA (below)
Allen Breed3D II 44.95
PD Soft Fonts/Clipart 9.95
PD Soft Utilities 2 34.95
Sci-Fi Sensations 2 34.95
Sounds Terrific 2 24.95
Zoom 2 34.95
Breathless
Microlyte Warriors
Plnball Prelude
Primal Rage
Slamtilt
UFO (X-C0M)ECS/AGA
Worms ECS/AGA
XP8
34.95
44.95
34.95
39.95
44.95
34.95
34.95
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Hardware and Accesories
A520 Video Adaptors
A1200ATw/170mb
Power Joystick
Zipperware Trakball
Wizard 3-button 560dpi
Surf Squirrel
Free Aminet 6 w/ purchase of $30
19.95 Blizzard 1230-IV
699.95 DKB Cobra 33mhz
9.95 DKB Cobra 40mhz
39.95 Option 540 mb HD
29.95 SyquestEZ135
1 49.95 Vidi 24 RT
Vidi 24 RT Pro
279.95
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219,95
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Circle 1 2\ on Reader Service card.
Miami is shareware with various prices depending on
several different criteria. The maximum price is $35. The
demo version, in addition to the above ARexx limit, limits
you to 60 minutes per on line session, and has a three
number limit in the dialer directory. Miami requires OS
2.1-I-, MUl 3.3-I-, a phone modem, and a PPP or SLIP account
at an Internet Service Provider. If you have a shell account,
you will also need TIA or Slirp to simulate the ppp connec-
tion.
Currently Miami is only available from the authors'
home page:
http://\vww.america, com /-kruse/amiga/Miami. html
or from the following FTP site:
ftp.nordicglobal.com/miami/
Also available is a list of Amiga internet software known to
be compatible with the Miami package. Voyager, AWeb,
AMosaic, and IBrowse are all compatible, and the author
states that any software that runs properly under AmiTCP/
IP should work with Miami.
Am FTP
AmFTP (Figure 8) is another gui FTP client along the
lines of GUI-FTP (see the June 1996 On Line). AmFTP from
Oliver Wagner and Mathias Mischler is a much more
complete program, however. Besides featuring a no-typing
approach to Internet file transfers, it also includes an Archie
search program. You can send an Archie search out to find
the file for you, then retrieve it with a few mouse<l!cks.
Also supported is the Aminet Download Tool for
dowrJoading and automatically de-compressing archived
\'ersions of AmiNet file listings. Batch downloads are
supported, and you can resume an interrupted download.
AmFTP is shareware with a $30 registration fee.
AmigaGuide documentation, and an Installer script round
out the package. AmFTP requires OS 2,0-1-, MUI 3.1+, and a
TCP protocol stack, such as AmiTCP/lP, AS225, or Miami.
Currently at version 1.53, you can find AmFTP at several
sites, including the comm/tcp subdirectory of AmiNet, and
the Vapor homepage at:
http: / /www.vapor.com
September 1996
29
[n-P*»w tnteTTMi Mr Amvt
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Figure 6 (top). No more obtuse script files to try to edit wtien all of ttie various
configuration settings ore available ttirough a GUI.
Figure 7 (middle). Ttie activity simulator will send a signal often enougti to l<eep you
connected.
Figure 8 (bottom). AmFTP is a gui RP client witti o no-typing approach to Internet file
transfers ond an Arctiie search program.
Who Ya Gonna Call?
Here are some more Amiga BBS
numbers as supplied by readers. If one
is in your area, give them a call and
check it out. Tell them Rob sent you!
NAME; The Hideaway BBS
PHONE: 902-465-6863
SPEEDS; Up to 28,800 bps
CONTACT: Phillip Turnbull
NAME:
PHONE;
SPEDS:
SETTINGS:
The Inner Circle
509-522-8485
Up to 28,800 bps
8-N-l
CONTACT: JW Olson
The Codex BBS
(770)473-6173
Up to 14,400bps
NAME:
PHONE:
SPEEDS:
CONTACT:
"Cregan" (Andy Shaffer- sysop)
"Spike" (Spike Dcthmnn-co-sysop)
E-MAIL TO: spike@neonate.org
Where To Find Me
rhays@kiva.net
http://www.kiva.net/~rhays
R.Hnys5 on Genie
RHAYS on Delphi
72764,2066 on CompuServe
Rob Hays on Portal
For U.S.Mail:
Rob Hays
P.O.Box 194
Bloomtngton, IN 47402
Please include a SASE if you need
a personal reply.
If you run an Amiga specific BBS,
send me the information callers will
need to access your system. Phone
number(s), modem speeds, software
settings, etc. As a service to the Amiga
community 1 will include the informa-
tion I receive in this column from time
to time.
If you come across any World
Wide Web sites you feel would be of
interest to the Amiga community, pass
them along for inclusion in the Hotlist
of the Month. Send the info to any of
my addresses above.
That's all for now. See vou on line!
•AC*
30
AmaziiS'g Computing
CD32
Liage Intemarional, Inc. - 36 Dye Street - Gamerville, NY - 10923
Phone: 914/786-1711 1-800-786-25-AMIGA Fax; 914/786-1708
CDROM
3.5 DISKS (conL )
.•\iaRA 6,00
.\LIEN BREED/KW,\K 5.00
.ASSASISIONS 1 6.00
-ASS.ASISIONS 2 21 00
BANSHEE 5.00
THE BIG 4.0O
BUBBA N STK. 5.00
BUMP AND BLIRN 5.00
C;\NNON FODDER. g.OO
CHAOS ENGINE 1.00
CLASSIC LOTUS TRILOGY 10.00
THE CLUE 5.00
DANGEROUS STRJ?£TS 4.00
DEATH NL\SK 7.00
DEMO COLLECTION 5.00
DONK 5.00
DISPOSABLE HERO 6.00
EXILE 8.00
HRE .AND ICE 5.00
FRESH FISH 8, 9 10.00
FUN SCHOOL 3 3.00
GAMERS DEUGHT 8.00
GLOOM 15.00
GLOOM DELUXE 25.00
GLOBAL EFFECT 3.00
GOLDFISH +94. .AND VOL 2 3.00
GRAND SLA-M GAMES GOLD COLLECT ... 7.95
HUAL-WNS 3 EVOLUTION 27.95
IMPOSSIBLE .\USSION tO.OO
INSIGHT TECHNOLOGY g.OO
JUN'GLE STRiKE 25.00
MORPH 5.00
MYTH 5.00
OUT TO LL^'CH 4.00
PGA EUROPE,\N TOUR 5.00
PIR.ATES GOLD 6.00
POWER G/\MES 4.00
PREMIER , 5.00
PSYCHO KILLER 1.00
SH.ADDOW FIGHTER. (00
SOCCER KID J.OO
SPEEDB.ALL2 7.00
SPORTS FOOTB.U.L 2.00
STREET FIGHTER TURBO 6.00
STRIKER. 5.00
STRIP POT 3.00
SLTER METHANE BEOS 5.0O
TOP GEAR. 3.00
TOTAL CARNAGE 5.00
UNIVERSE g.OO
WILD CUP SOCCER. 2.00
WORMS 25.95
ZOOLI 1.00
CDTV
ADVANCED MILITARY SYSTEMS .50
ALL DOGS GO TO HEAVEN 2.00
.'\A1ERICAN HERTT.AGE DICT10N,VRY 5.00
ASS.\SSINS L 2 6-00
FUN SCHOOL 3 3.00
FRESH nSH 8,9 10,00
0.-\RDEN FAX. 1. 2, 3. 4 2.00
GOLDFISH 4/94 AND VOL 2 3.00. 10.00
HOUNT* OF THE B,ASK£RV1LLE, THE 2.00
MOVING GIVES ME A STOMACH ACHE 2.00
MUD PUDDLE 2.00
PAPER B.AG PRINCESS 3,00
POWER PINBALL, 2.00
PSYCHO KILLER. 1.00
SC.^Y POEMS FOR ROTTEN KIDS 2.00
T.ALES OF PETER RABBIT 2.00
TIME TABLE OF HISTORY 3 00
THO.MAS' SNOWSUIT 2,00
rOWN WITH NO NAME .50
WR.ATH OF THE DE.MON 2,00
AMIGA TOOLS 2 5,00
A-MOS PD 5.00
ANIMATION'S fWEIRD SCIENCE) 4,00
AMINET III 2.00
AMINET 8 10.00
A.MIN'ET9 10.00
AMINET 10 10.00
AMINTiT 1 1 10.00
/\MINET12 17.00
,\RT\^'ORKS CD 12.00
CH.AOS IN ,\NDRO.MEDA / EYES 1.00
CASTLES 1 28.00
CDPD 1. 2. 3. 4 3.00
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ENCOUNTERS 12.95
EXILE 3.50
FONTS ( WE IRD SCIENCE). 9.0O
FR.ACTUAL L=NIVRSE .„. 6.0O
GROLER'S ENC YCLOPEDW + LEMMINC 1 0.00
HOTTEST 4 g.OO
HOTTEST 6 12.95
LSD III 30.00
LSD /\NT> 1 7 BIT COMPENDFLM VOLS 1 , 1 5.00
MAGIC PUBLISHER. 28.95
.MARVALOUS M^\RV1N 3.00
MEETLN'G PE^^RLS 1,2. 3 12.95
MULTLMEDU TOOL KIT. 12.00
ML'SIC MOD ANT) SOUND EFFECTS 10.00
NFA AGA E,XPERIENCE VOL 2 19.00
N'ETWORKCD 1,2 8.00. 13,95
OCTEMED6 17.00
OH \'ES. MORE WOR.MS 19.00
RYDER CLT 5.00
SCEN'ESTOR.M 19.00
SOLIDS TERRIFIC (WEIRD SCIENCE) ,1 17,95
SOLT^DS TERRIFIC (WEIRD SCIENCE) .2 19.95
TEXTURE G,\LLERY g.OO
LTD GOLD 4 P.ACK. 17.95
1078 WEIRD TEXTURES g.OO
17 BIT COLLECTION 20.00
17 BIT CONTINU.ATION 15.00
17 BIT 5TH DIMENSION 12.95
17 BIT PHASE 4 30.00
17 BIT UFO ENCOUNTERS 17.95
3-D CD L\L\GES 12.00
3-D CD OBJECTS 12,00
ZOO.MU 16.95
3.5 DISKS
AB,\NT)ON'ED PLACES 100
ADVANCED DR/\GONS & DU'NGEONS 3.00
AGEIS .-VNINUTOR 5.00
ALIEN BREED, ALIEN BREED 3-D. 15.00
.ARCADE HFTS 4.00
ASIMCDFS 2.00
BACK TO THE FUTURE III 2,00
BARBARL\N B 3,00
BODY BLOWS 2.00
BOMBER BOB - 2.50
BOPPIN LOO
CARL LEWIS CHALLENGE 2.00
CENTERFOLD SQU.ARES 3.00
CHRIST\LAS LEMMIN'GS 1.00
CHUCK ROCK. 3.00
CYTRON 3.00
DAY OF THE VIPER. 3.00
DELL'XE P.ALNT 2 8.00
DOUBLE DR.AGON 4.00
DR. PLL'MMET'S HOUSE OF FLUX. 1.00
E.\ILE 600/500. 1200. 8.00
FASTBREAK.. 3-00
FIRE FORCE 4.00
FIRE TOWER. 3.00
FONT SET 2.00
FOOTBALL DIRECTOR 2 3.00
FUTL-RE CL.-\SSICS COLLECTION 4.00
GARDEN FACTS ^ 2,00
GUARDLiiN 5.00
GLOOM. 15.00
GLOOM DELUXE 25.00
GOD FATHER. 4.00
GRAPHICS STUDIO 3.00
GREENS 3.00
HEATWAVE 3.00
HEIMDALL II 5.00
HrrS6 3.00
HOOK. 2.00
HUNTER. 3.00
JAWS OF CERBERUS 4.00
JUG. 2.00
KEYS TO .MAR.AMON 2.00
KID CHAOS 3.00
KINGS BOUNTY' 3.00
KNIGHTS OF THE CRYSTALLION 3.00
LEISURE SLTT LARRY 2.00
LEMMINGS 2.00
LORDS OF THE REALM 23.95
.MONEY .MENTOR 5.00
NICKY BOO\L 2.00
OH NO, MORE LEMMINGS 2.0O
ORK 2.00
PHOTON PAINT. 8.00
PIN'B.ALL FANTASIES 25.95
PIR.ACY „ 3.00
POCOMAN 3.00
PRLME MOVER. 4.00
PRLMETI.ME 4.0O
PUSHOVER. 3.00
R.AIDER. „ 3.00
RED ZONE 2.00
RLTF 'N' TUMBLE 25.00
SHADOW L/V«JDS 200
SH^UX) W OF THE BEAST IH 3.00
SHUTTLE 6.00
SKELETON KREW 6.00
SOCCER KID 3.00
SPACE 1889 ^-^
SPEEDB/UX 2 ^■""
S PERIS L,\G.ACY *"'
STAR CRLHS.ADERS ^^-^
STREETROD *-^
SLUWARS l^-^^
SUPERCARS ^9?
SUPER METHA.N^ BROS 'O?
SUPER SPACE INA'.ADERS ^•°"
SUPER STREET FIGHTER H '♦•"<'
SUPER STREET nCirTER U TURBO.. ^0°
TEST DRTVE '''*'
TEXT CRAFTS PLUS ^-^
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WOR.MS l*^
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ZOOLI 1°^
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GET CONNECTED TO THE INTERNE ^'^^
Circle 112 on Reader Service card.
Web Typesetting
Part 6:
Reading Form Data
Randy Finch's Survey Page
i Pkuc tin in the fonn below to let mc know who h visiting my Web pages:
Lut ir«A*j
|n-=»
ririit M^IKS
Clljfi
|n3f«;r:a
SlAtB i
CovntxT'-
Jusa
BMlXt
Iftf rch!5>f*floy"'"
Bfllflfrr !
^ Kftlft
FT
Inf Riuuiii Finch
Inqi l^i-iqaDOS «J
Catching user information
from your web site.
intvr «r'ti*i joa «rr us:
I ^ I W4fit 1>A11 wn«n nev «turf 1« «i4«4 to R«Ady Fin<ll'« Hme Pave
I ^hlnk your Vcb aue ia -.he ccolesc. Coolec ^han «nv^ti3n;t ^
> h*v* ever »eofi fc«£cre.
Last lime, 1 discussed how to create
a form using HTML code. I mentioned at
that time that a ser\'er-side program is
required to road the data submitted by
the user from the form. In this article I
will discuss how to create a server-side
program for reading form data. Let me
say at tliis point that tliis is a complex
topic. I will only be able to skim the
surface. I have a couple of references at
the end of the article for people who
want to learn the details.
CGI Programs
When submitting form data from a
Web page, a CGI {Common Gateway
Interface) program is required. A CGI
program is one that receives its starting
commands from a Web page, usually one
containing a form. Before a CGI program
executes, the Web ser\'er creates a special
processing environment In which the
program operates. Such things as HTTP
(Hyper-Text Transport Protocol) headers
are parsed into environment variables
that your CGI program can use.
Other information is also made
available. The program can use this
information in whatever wav it chooses.
It should then output some information.
The output includes some HTTP
response headers and possibl}' some
HTML code. Some of this is done for you
by the server. 1 will only discuss what
needs to be done by the program itself.
Many different programming
languages can be used for CGI programs.
A shell script, a C program, or a C-I-+
program would work fine. However, the
language of choice for these types of
server-side programs is Perl. Never
heard of it? Well, I hadn't either just a
few months ago. After 1 in\'estigated it, I
Figure 1 . Filled out Survey Page
found out why it is so popular. Perl
programs are stored as ASCII files and
then parsed for errors before they are
executed. Perl makes use of associative
arrays which is very useful when storing
form data. Also, Per! is free. I use a Perl
program for reading Ihe data from the
HTML form discussed in the last
installment.
For security reasons, some Internet
Service Provider.s (ISPs) require that all
CGI programs reside in a root directory
named /cgi-bin. Others do not have this
requirement. You need to find out what
your ISP requires before creating n CGI
program. My ISP allows CGI programs
to reside anywhere on their server as
long as the program name has a .cgl
extension. I put all of my CGI programs
in a subdirectory named cgi-bin in my
personal Web page directory.
GET or POST
! mentioned last time that a form
can submit data to a CGI program using
the GET method or the POST method.
The GET method creates an environment
variable named QUERY„STR1NC
containing a specially encoded string of
characters with the form data in it and
then executes the CGI program. The
program can read this environment
variable and decode it.
The POST method executes the
prograni first and then feeds the encoded
string via its standard input (STDIN),
which should be familiar to all you C
programmers out there. Again, the
program can read the string and decode
it. Tile disadvantage of the GET method
is that the server may ha\'e a ma.ximum
length for environment variables. If the
form allows a lot of data to be entered, it
could overflow the buffer. The POST
method does not have this disadvantage
and is thus the preferred method of
submitting data.
URI Encoding
When torm data is submitted to a
CGI program, either using the GET
method or the POST method, it is first
encoded into one long string. A URI
(Uni\'ersnl Resource Identifiers; also
called URL or URN) encoding scheme is
used for this task. The rules for this type
of encoding are;
1. Create name/ value pairs for each
input field on the form. The name is
supplied by the NAME attribute of a
control on the form (see last install-
ment for details). The value is the data
supplied by the user for tliat control, a
default value, or an empty value.
2. Names and values are separated by
equal signs (=).
3. Name/\'alue pairs are separated from
each other by ampersands (&).
4. Spaces are converted to plus signs (+).
5. Reserved characters (there are many)
and special characters (such as "•>)
must be encoded by converting them
to their HEX values in the form '^oHH
where H is a hexadecimal digit.
If you look at the HTML code in the
last installment, you will see that all of
the controls have a NAME attribute
associated with them. The first four
controls are named LASTNAME,
FIRSTNAME, CITY, and STATE. If my
name is Joe Van Dyke, Jr. and 1 live in
New York, NY, then the first part of the
URI encoded string for this form would
be:
32
Amazimg Computing
LASTNAMEVan+Dykel62C+jEH2Et
FIRSTNAME=JoaiCITY=Hew+YorlcSSTATE=NK
Notice the plus signs where spaces
sliould go, tlie equal sign separating the
name and values, and the ampersand
separating She name/value pairs. Two
rescr\'cd characters, a comma and a
period, are converted to their hexadeci-
mal values, %2C and %2E. This string,
with the additional name/value pairs not
shown, will be assigned to the environ-
ment variable QUERY_5TR1NG if the
GET method is used bj' the form, or the
string will be passed to the CGI
program's standard input if the POST
method is used.
Of course, once the CGI program
receives the string, it must be decoded
before the data is useful. Fortunately,
there is a free routine available that
automates this task. It will be discussed
in the next section.
Finally, Reading the Form Data
Listing 1 shows a Perl program 1
wrote entitled survey .cgi. It reads in the
URI encoded string discussed above,
decodes it, and then produces .some
HTML code to be sent back to the user's
browser. Let's see how it \vorks.
The first line of the program is:
#! /usr/local/bin/perl.
All of you UNIX buffs are already overly
familiar with the meaning of this line. It
tells the shell that the following code
should be executed by the Perl inter-
pi'ctcr. By making tliis the first line, the
program can be executed by just typing
the name of the program, survey .cgi,
rather than typing "perl survey .cgi".
Some UNIX systems do not support this
feature, so check it out first.
The next line is:
require ("cgi -lib. pi" ) ; .
This statement tolls the Perl interpreter
that an external library of routines,
named cgi-lib.pl, will he required by this
program. The cgi-lib.pl library is a nifty
(a little 60's lingo) library of Perl
.subroutines for performing some
common CGI tasks.
The library was written by Steven
Brenner and is freel\' distributable. The
library may or may not be available on
your ISP's server. It was not on mine.
Therefore, I put a copy of it in my
personal cgi-bin subdirectory. Make sure
you put the proper path in the require
command.
Parsing the URI Encoded String
The cgi-lib.pl subroutine that my
program uses is ReadParse. It is used in
the third line of survey.cgi. In order to
gi\-e you a taste of Perl, I show the
ReadParse routine in its entirety in
Listing 2. 1 cannot describe it in detail,
but here is a synopsis. A local \'ariable
named "in" is created and will be used to
store data from the URI encoded string.
Tiie final decoded data will be passed
back to the calling program using the
variable passed to ReadParse (in this
case, input).
ReadParse determines whether the
GET or POST method is being used to
pass the URI encoded string. If the GET
method is being used. Sin (a scalar
\ariable), is equated to the environment
variable QUERY_STRING. If the POST
method is being used, Sin is read from
STDIN. In this case, the length of the
input is determined from the environ-
ment variable CONTENT_LENGTH. At
this point, let's use the URI encoded
string discussed earlier as our example
string and see ivhat happens to it as it is
processed by ReadParse,
1. At this point.
Sin =
LASTNAME=Van+Dyke%2C+jJ:^'o2E&
FlRSTNAME=Joe&CITY=
New+York&STATE=NY
2. The split function divides the
scalar variable. Sin, into an array,
@in, of name/value pairs. Now',
Sin[0] =
LASTNAME=Van+Dvke%2C+Ji^/o2E
Sin[ll = FIRSTNAME=joe
Sin[2l = ClTY=New+York
Sin[31 = STATE=NY
3. A loop is executed where SI is set
equal to values between and one
minus the number of array
elements in @in. The latter
number is represented by S#in.
Within the loop, several opera-
tions are performed on each
element of the @in array. First,
plus signs are con\'erted to
spaces. Now,
Sin[0] = LASTNAME=Van
Dyke"/u2C Jr'K-,2E
Sin[lJ = FIRSTNAiME=]oe
Sin[2] = CITY=New York
Sin[3] = STATE=NY
4. The name=value strings are split
into two scalar variables Skey and
$\'al, where the former will equal
the name and the latter wil! equal
the value. Now,
On 1st pass: Skey = LASTNAME
Sval = Van Dyke7<,2C Jr%2E
On 2nd pass: Skey =
FIRSTNAME
$val = Joe
On 3rd pass: $key = CITY
Sval = New York
On 4th pass; Skey = STATE
Sval = NY
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pricti & awaiitxbUitj ttsbjfct to rhangr withfUl ntttiff
If vim iHiN -r si'i; rr r.u i. ■ wr; \nv ihvk it im llF! AULli
T" l^l'TIT
M , r. fHifi-s rA.Ml ■ ^^|^^|^^1IM iimii'ii tit
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Circle 122 on Reader Service card.
September 1996 33
Hu< n ih* BiKomMriMi you HUtroittciL Okk Iht ap^upjialc butlun bcJtrw.
•■wn«0^f»Co»ta 1
J-fc-r^o^ij^sarw 1 1
1
V*HT AnnrtH
^FnlHmc
JSarfj,
]LtaSaac
Fmdi
^C«v
Flcrenet
srii<
AL
Counliy
USA
Mric
Syffmi
ReadintMction. Rtadai|
C&mpirter Grtphk*, Fra
PhilB^ophy, OEyceti\-inn
Swimnnns. TV, Movi«
■Vc.
<mt:nt. CnmpidEr P|Oj;;nHDinuij.
, ScKiscc. MidscniKtici,
Q^cti Woi}4, TmnHy Time
ilic cwdert C<wi.J« linn mjtliais [
iComiaEnto
lUrVr cVn Mcn bcfcirc.
Figure 2. On-the-fly Verrficotion Page
5. The hexadecimal numbers in the
Skey and Sval strings are
converted to their alphanumeric
values. Now,
On 1st pass: Skey = LASTNAME
Sval = Van Dyke, Jr.
On 2nd pass: $kcy =
FIRSTNAME
Sval = Joe
On 3rd pass: Skey = CITY
Sval = New York
On 4th pass: Skey = STATE
Sval = NY
6. Finally, an associative array, %in,
is created where the indexes of
the array are the Skey strings and
the \'alues of the arra)' elements
are the Sval strings. Multiple
values for the same name, such as
from a multi -select list box
control, are separated by the
characters \0.
This is what will be passed back
to the input variable in the
survey.cgi program. Now,
Sinl'LASTNAME'l = Van Dyke,
Jr.
Sinl'FIRSTNAME') = Joe
Sin('CITY'l= New York
Sinl'STATE'l = NY
The final construct, an associative
array, may be new to you. It uses strings
to index an array rather than a numeric
value. This construct is not unique to
Perl; other languages use it. However, it
is rather rare. It is easy to see how useful
it is for handling form data. You can
easily obtain the value from a control by
indexing the array with the name of the
control.
As you have noticed, Perl can be
very powerful, performing complex tasks
with simple commands. However, it can
be rather cryptic. I do not have the space
to delve deeper into Perl programming.
Whole books have been written about
this topic. 1 list two that I own at the end
of this article.
Cleaning Up the Form Data
Now that the form data has been
parsed into an associative array, it is time
to use it for something. It is generally a
good idea to regurgitate the data entered
by the user so she can check it for errors.
If the information is correct, it can be
passed on to another CGI program for
final handling. If the data is incorrect, the
survey page needs to be redisplayed so
the user can re-enter the data. The
purpose of survey.cgi is to regurgitate.
After parsing the data with
ReadParse, survey.cgi next separates the
multiple values for the INTERESTS
control by substituting a comma and a
space for each occurrence of \0. This
procedure is not necessary for the other
controls as they do not accept mirltiple
inputs.
Check box controls that are checked
by the user pass a \'alue of "on" to the
CGI program. Unchecked boxes do not
send a value at all. These values are no
good for displaying to the user. There-
fore, the Sinputl'SENDINFO'l array
element is set equal to "Yes" if the box is
checked and a value of "No" otherwise.
Creating an
On-the-Fly Web Page
A Web browser expects to recei\'e
an HTTP response header before any
other information so it can know how to
handle what follows. There are many
differenl response headers. One of the
most common ones is the Content-type
response header. Tliis header informs the
browser what type of data is about to be
passed to it. The print command can be
used in a Perl CGI program to pass
information back to the browser.
Therefore, the command:
print ^Content -type: teKt/htmlVnXn";
sends a message to the browser that
some HTML code is about to be sent. The
rest of survey.cgi is devoted to sending
the HTML code. You C programmers
will recognize the \n as a newline
character. All response headers must end
with hvo newline characters or an error
will occur.
The next line,
print <<"ending_tag";
teils Perl that all of the following lines of
text, up to the label ending_tag, should
be printed as though each line had the
print command in front of it. The double
quotes around the tag name specify that
variable names in the text should be
replaced with their current \nlues before
printing the line, (Note: If single quotes
are used, as in print «'ending_tag';,
then no substitutions will occur.)
You will recognize the lines to be
printed as standard HTML code.
Basically, a table with two columns is
created. The first column contains a
description of the information provided
by the user. The second column contains
the information itself This format makes
it easy for the user to verify whether the
information he provided is correct.
Near the top of the HTML code is a
form. The ACTION attribute for this
form is set to execute yet another CGI
program named handlcsurvey.cgi. This
form is unusual in that it does not have
any displavable controls for entering
information! However, it does contain II
controls of tj-pe hidden. These controls
have names that are the same as the
controls on the form discussed in the last
installment. The \'alues of those hidden
controls are equal to the values parsed
from the pre\'ious form. (Remember that
the Sinputd associative array elements
will have their actual values substituted
before the lines are printed.) Hidden
controls are a way of passing data
through an intermediate form without
the data actually being displayed on the
form.
The current form also has two
submit buttons, one with a \-alue of
"Information is Correct" and the other
with a value of "Information is Incor-
rect". The CGI program handlcsurvey.cgi
will determine which button was
selected and take the appropriate action,
Handlcsurvey.cgi will be discussed in
the next installment.
Figure 1 shows the survey form
filled out with information about myself.
Figure 2 shows the verification page that
is created on the fly by the survey.cgi
program.
Wtiat Have We Accomplished?
We have covered a lot of territory in
a short amount of time. I'm sure some of
you are totally confused at this point, as
would I if I were hit cold with this article.
This is unfortunate. It would have been
better to examine how to program in Perl
in greater detail before presenting this
information. However, this was simply
not possible. Perl is a substantive
language with many special variables,
operators, etc. It would require an entire
series of articles on Perl programmiiig
alone. Therefore, I am taking a surface
level approach, presenting only an
o\'ervie\v of how to write server-side CGI
programs using Peri to make use of form
data. If you want to learn all the details,
you need to purchase some good books
about Perl and/or CGI programming
and start digging in.
34
Amazing Computing
As far as the CGI program in Listing 1 goes, it did tho
following;
1. Parsed the UKI encoded string created from the
user's input data and created an associative array
containing this information.
2. Cleaned up some of the input data such as separat-
ing multiple values with a comma and presenting
check box data in a more readable way.
3. Sent an HTTP response header back to the browser
to infoi'm it that HTML code was on the way.
4. Sent HTML code on-the-fly. The code created hidden
controls for passing information on to another CGI
program. A table was used to display the user's
input. Two submit buttons were created for the user
to verify that the data is correct or that it is not.
Until Next Time
Next time 1 will discuss the final step in handling the
form data. Until then, get some CGI and Perl books and start
reading. Perhaps then some of the stuff I discussed in this
article \vill make some sense. Below are two books I own that I
have found useful. Remember to visit my Web site, http://
fly.hiwaay.net/~rcfinch,
and fill out my sur\'ey form.
For learning Pert:
Wall, Larry and Schwartz, Randal L.; Programming Perl;
O'Reilly & Associates, Inc.; 1991.
For learning CGI programming using Perl:
Herrmann, Eric; Teach Yourself CGI Programming with Perl in
a Week; Sams Net; 1 996.
reiiuire(''cgi-lib.pl''J;
fifleadParSH ( • input ) ;
SiuiJUtCIllTEBJESIS') •- c/\OI, Iqi
if (SinputCSEHDIHTO'l 03 'on') (
(inputC'SENEIHrO') = 'les';
alse {
Sinput('SEHDInrO') ■ 'Ho';
print "Content-type: text/html\ii\n"r
print <<''eiiding_tag'';
<VXXB>
<TITI*^Yeur Survay X]iB*«rB< /TITLE*
</BE*II>
<BOI!V>
<FORH HZTHOD=PDgT ACT10ti=''haE!aieEurvey . cgi"*
<INPUT HAME-''FIRSTMAMZ'' TYPE=hiddeQ VALUE-''Sinput ('FIRSTNAME'}"*
<INPDT HAHEa'-LASTHAKE- TYPE=bidden VALUE-^SLnput [ 'lASTHUE' )">
<INPDT 1U1«E="CITY" TTFEihiddBn vaLDEo-Slaputi 'CITY' )">
<INPUT NAME -"STATE" TYPEahidden VALUET''Sinput{ 'STATE' )">
<INPOT HAME»''COUMTRY'' TYPEohidden VALUE"''$inp\itrC0UNTllV' !">
<IHPUT HAHE"" EMAIL" TYPE-hidden VALIIE""$inpuC{ 'EMAIL.' }">
<IHPOT H»lE-"aEKriER" lYPE-hidden VALire=''Sinpjt{ "GEHBEB' )">
<IHPUT HAME'^-SYSTEH" TYPE-hlddetl VALUE-''Sinput ( 'SYSTEM' } ">
<1NPUT NAME-'-INTEHEStS" TYPE-hiddon VALUE^'Jinputl 'INTERESTS' )->
<INPUT liAME="SENDIHTO'' TYPE"!lidd«Il VAI.OE=''Sinpi!t( 'SENPIHTQ' )">
<IMP11T KJlE="COHHEmS'' TYPEabiddon VAlIIE=''Sinput( 'COlOffiBTS' )">
<C£KTER>KerQ is thfl infomation you Bubinittod. Click the apprbpciate button
below .< /CENTER>
<p>
<CENTEB>
<INPDT NAME-''SUaKITRIGHT'' TYPEnflubmit VALnE"" JnfcxTuation iB Correct" SRC-"">
<lNPtrr MAME>''SUBHITWROJ«" TYPE-Butnit VALUED* InioJmatiQn iB iDCOrract" SRC»"'
</ CENTER}
</FORH>
<CEHTER>
<TABLE B0RDERs2>
<TH align"leCt><B>Survoy Iten</B></TH>
<TH aliffn=leEt><B>Your AnBwerB</B></TH>
<TR><TD>First Kftjae <yTII><TD>$inputrFIRSTNAME' )</TR>
<TR><TD>Laat Sana </TD><TD>Si!ip'4t('IASTHAHE')</TR>
<TR><TD>City </TD><TD>$input i 'CirY'l</TH>
<TR><TD>State </TD><TD>Sinput( 'STATE' J</TR>
<TR><TD>Couiltry </TD><TD>$ input I 'COUNTRY') </TR>
<TR><TD>Eniail AddreBB </TD><TDJ$input { 'EMAII,' }</r]l>
<TR><TD>GBndBr </TD><TD>$input f 'CEtlDER' n/TR>
<TR><TD>Coiliputer SyBtem </TDKTD>$input( •SYSTEK')</TH>
<TR><TD> Interests </TD><TD>Sinput( 'INTERESTS' )</TH>
<TR><TD>Inform you of Web aite changes </ra><rD>$iuput[*SENDIM?0' }</TR>
<TR> -^TD^Coniments < nD> <TD> $iuput { ' COMKEWTS ' ) < /TH>
</TABtl>
</CEHTgR>
</B!JDY>
</HTMl,»
endiiig_tag
<t Readparse
4 RflBds in GET or POST data, converts it to unBBcapBd text, and puts
H one keysvalue in each mamber oC the list "^in'
# Also craatflB kay/valuB pairs in ^in, using '\0' to separate multiple
t selections
# Returns TRUE if there was input, FALSE if there was no input
# UHDEF may be used in the future tc indicata Booe failure.
sub ReadParse {
local I'in) ■ »_ If »_)
local ($i, iter, $vallj
t Read in text
if (MathOet] (
Sin = SEKV('flDERY_STHlHQ'),'
) elslf (l>NsthPoBt) {
read I STDIH, Sin, SEMV { 'C01ITEllT„I,EBGTtt' ) ) J
>
9in . splitC/[lil/,$ln),
foreach Si 10 .. Sfin) {
i Convert plus's to spaces
SiniSil =- s/\*/ /b;
It Split into key and value.
(Skay, Svall - splitl/"/, tinlSi),2); » splits 00 tbs first •.
f Convert XXX from hex numbers to alphanuneric
Skey =- B/*i..l/paclt|''c".hex|Sl))/5a;
Sval =- E/*(..l/pac)il''c'',!iex(Sl))/gej
<! Associate key and value
SintSkey) .■ "VO" if <dafinad<$in<$key)l ); I \0 is the mltiple separator
Sin{$):ey> .= Sval;
return scalar{0in};
•AC*
September 1996
35
This Old Workbench, Part 3
Compression on the Amiga
Creole needed space on your
Amiga On-The-Fly.
In previous articles, T talked about
renovating the Workbench in manners
both practical {plumbing, wiring), and
aesthetic (new coat of paint, what have
you). Well, now it is time to turn to
that ever popular (and ever insuffi-
cient) closet space.
I wish my Amiga were like Dr.
Who's TARDIS. If you have ever
watched the BBC SF serial Dr. Who,
you will know what 1 am talking
about. Dr. Who's Space/Time ship, the
TARDIS (Time And Relative Dimen-
sions In Space) had many fine quali-
ties, but one of the most amazing was
the fact that it was bigger on the inside
than on the outside. From the outside,
it appeared as a police call box, on the
inside, however, it was seemingly
boundless. Imagine the closet space!
My Amiga is most definitely not
like the TARDIS (though it occasion-
ally does require a good whack to get
it started). No, like most, my Amiga
has a finite amount of hard drive
By Dave Matthews
space, which is crammed to bursting
with programs, data, and an ever
expanding array of system libraries,
fonts, handlers, dos dri\'ers, datatypes,
and other essential byte-thieves. And 1
must confess, the icons alone consume
an embarrassing amount of hard drive
real estate.
The obvious solution is to buy a
bigger hard drive, or maybe a Zip or
Jaz removable drive. For those without
large Amiga expense accounts, the
hardware route to storage heaven may
be impractical. What can you do?
Compression Relief
Weil, there are inexpensive (and
even free!) ways of getting extra
storage space, if you are willing to put
up with the occasional compromise.
Using compression software, you can
nearly double the apparent size of
your hard drive.
If you have used computers for
very long, you will have at least a
Figure 1 (top).
imploder
Figure 2 (bottom).
Powerpacker 4.3
passing acquaintance with compres-
sion. Most commercial and PC
software is compressed using LHA,
LZX (a new \'ersion, lzxl21.Lha, was
recently released on the nets) or
similar programs, and is
uncompressed during the installation
process. While LHA and LZX certainly
compress files well, and save space on
your backup media, they are not of
much use for compressing programs
and files you use on a regular basis.
Programs known as "crunchers"
or "packers" were early attempts to
solve this problem. There are dozens of
different crunchers; Imploder
(freeware) by Albert-Jan Brouwer,
Peter Struijk, Paul van der Valk, and
Erwin Zwart, and Powerpacker
(commercial, w/ freely available
demo, PWRPCKR.LHA,) by Nico
Francois, are two of the more familiar.
Both programs could compress
data files, both had supporting utilities
such as text readers to display this
crunched data. But the more general
usage for Powerpacker and Imploder
(and other programs of this type) was
to compress programs in such a way
that they would be automatically
decompressed when run. You could
compress your programs, yet still run
them as though they were not com-
pressed at all. To achieve this seeming
magic, after compression, a "decrunch-
header" was added to the program.
This would (with the help of a library)
decompress the program, load it into
memory, where the Amiga would run
it as any regular program.
Crunchers went a long way
toward solving the space problem, but
still left much to be desired. Only
36 Amazing Compltisg
program files could be crunched and
decrunched automatically. Data files,
libraries, fonts etc could only be
compressed if the application you used
understood the compression method.
Aside from a few viewers, almost no
applications could deal with crunched
data. See Figures 1 and 2 for
screenshots of Imploder and
PowerPacker.
On-The-Fly
Compression-Decompression
What was needed was a transpar-
ent way to compress and decompress
files, handled automatically by the
system. When you loaded a com-
pressed file into your word processor,
you would not need to know if it was
compressed or not, the file would be
decompressed on-the-fly and you
would use your program as always.
One of the first programs to
attempt this was Powerpacker Patcher,
by Michael Berg, a small program
which would allow most applications
to load Powerpacked files transpar-
endy to the user. You could even
powerpack your icons and fonts. A
later more complete solution, again by
Michael Berg, was PowerData. This
program was more robust, corrected
some of Powerpacker patcher's
limitations, and allowed Applications
to read and write Powerpacked data.
Both of these programs served their
purpose, but only worked with
PowerPacked files.
XPK (extended PacKer)
It was about this time that one of
the most useful compression utilities
for tlie Amiga was released, XPK
(XPK25usr.lha, freeware), created by
Urban D. Mueller (of Aminet fame).
The XPK package, is a modular
compression system, allowing users to
choose from a variety of compression
methods, and programmers to easily
extend the system with new methods
and other enhancements, such as data
encryption.
XPK consists of a master library,
and various compression libraries. The
real strength of XPK is its
extendability. As new compression
y-\ H^atana 1 .1^ - WyHa W tr«: S>u>-.as«9U.
I.O
'-w
4l-«
Source DCC:dc1
^
Type unknown ewKutabifr fii/^ Siif
Packer none Rjtio — ^s Uncack N/ft
^'1 M^atsrui - FrMTMf. "
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WM
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Source ^3S,jfli
In: l^~,«a
a
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CowlctM:
bps; ii.iiWL
B
^^^■■■^91
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r"^w"~l ndd .Ki.k
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, -8 1KB Chun*.!.. 1 t'\ KttP. 1
Log File Ij'.'iaj
Tv^e
irrp f.\
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TTEfl
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f!!DiH:U^« UHU U
rsWThsl exdon*. ntnainsd. Sfapik.
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u:
'Th*f*d*:i:fHnp
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n
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t«*«
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SKB
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St onvtiPdftraijitvr^Susv. tf r'
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StDiir>riiF.artUrou7. iff
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IHMK
SKB
-ix---
SV»lO*dW«-> r-"PlatP.*fI'
-t
o
«
Figure 3 (top).
XPKatana.
XPK Front End
Figure 4 (middle).
XPK-Knight,
script mode
Figure 5 (bottom).
XPK-Archive Library
methods are developed, they can
easily be added to the existing XPK
system. XPK is flexible enough that
other tasks, such as data encryption,
can also be implemented. The XPK
package comes with several utilities
for handling compression, including
Martin A. Blatter's XDrop, a no fuss
commodity with an Applcon for Drag-
n-drop (de)compression.
XPK comes with a number of
compression libraries, and there are
many available. Several I am familiar
with:
XPKDMCB.LHA Andre Osterhues,
shareware, powerful, 68020+,
FPU, >2MB
XPKELZX.LHA Adam Przybyla,
Piotr Kasprzyk, freeware LZX xpk
libraries (NOTE; incompatible
with Shapcshifter!)
XPKHFMN136.LHA Martin Hauner,
fast, average compression
XPKGZIP_1.0.LHA Antonio
Schifano, Slow, but very good
compression
XPKILZR.LHA Jose Renau Ardevol,
Fast (Un)Packtng Low Mem
Requirements
XPKMASH-R4.LHA Zdenek
Kabelac, Fast, pretty good
compression
XPKPWPKIG.LHA Michael
Barsoom, freeware PowerPacker
based xpk packer
XPKRAKE_V1.7.LHA Karsten
Dageforde, freeware. My favorite
for general use
XPKSHRLV2.2.LHA Matthias
Meixner, freeware. Excellent
compression, slow
There are many programs which
work with and support XPK and other
September 1996
37
_j| yy»'. Hor kov . ^trl .11 >*'
■ ■ I'iTs ._j
Conpresscr
Descrlpt ion
HUFF
ILZR
i
RflKE 68828 Version 1.7
fast 4 3Qod cottpress ion/detonf
re&sion
MRSH
HONF
NUKE
PHPK
s
fe
i
Cancat |
BOKC
RDCN
RLEN
Conpres&lDn: 46k
Conprssston Sp»»d: B7 K/'^
Deconpress Lon Spcrifdi: &45 K/s
1 OK 1
E
■'' I , TasKsi. getjjp w >n<loi>i
DeepK Clients
<)EFflULT a.IENT>
Brt M isnce
PPatnt
CEO
Heu
TJeTele
Processes
Maq IclJB^DeRtcn
Sijun.d_ObjectKand ,
'■'- '."^n'^ I IP »
[>F2
Eack9roijnd CLI
Background Cti
MaaicMenu
« IPrefs ::■
FK»v
KinaCOK DOS-proc
weft lias
COH
She 1 1 Process
Cvc leToMenu
ftescart
Current Client
CED
.■• 1 Unpack Fi les
%^ i Pack FUss
■• I Fix File Size^^
<^ I fisk Pack
I Use F[U Liit
Packer RFIKE ^
MoiJ? ISO ''^
:"PK Packer Conf ig
Figure 6 (fop).
XFH Commodity
Figure 7 CboHom).
DeepX Task
Setup Window
forms of .'\miga compression. While I
can't list every one, here are a few you
rnight want to check out.
XFD
XFD, (XFDlM.lha, Freeware) by
Georg Hormann, is a system for
decrunching files, and features support
for almost every crimcher known on
the Amiga. (I will have to take the
author's word on that, since 1 have
never heard of most of the 45 included
crunch formats.)
XPKafana
Eric Sauvageau's XPKatana
(XPKatanal2.!ha, shareware), is a front
end for the XPK compression system.
XPKatana allows you to pack, unpack,
repack, and test not only XPK com-
pressed files, but (with XFD support)
also many non-XPK crunchers.
XPKatana has a full ARexx port and
script recording to make processing
multiple files easier. XPKatana also can
identify (via FilelD. library) many
filetypes, making it useful for deciding
which packer to use. See Figure 3 for a
shot of XPKatana.
XPK-Knight
XPK-Knight, by A. Grossberger,
{xpk-Knight_105.1ha, shareware) is an
even more extensive front end for
XPK. XPK-Knight has powerful script
capabilities for automating repetitive
compression tasks, and also features a
TRY mode, which will successfully
compress a file using many packers.
which could be useful for determining
which packers are best at certain types
of data. See Figure 4 for a screen shot
of XPK-Knight.
XPK-Archive Library
Matthias Meixner's XPK-Archi\'e
Library (XPKArhivePack.lha, giftware)
is an interesting program, which
supports XPK for creating archive files.
Rather than compress individual files,
XPK'Archive bundles groups of files
into a single compressed archive
(rather like LHA or LZX). One nice
feature is an included utility,
XArcTool, to browse through these
archives, adding, extracting, deleting
individual files, using a DOpus like
interface. See Figure 5 for XPK-
Archive/XArcTool in action.
Alternate Choices
Some other handy XPK utilities
are Daniel Balster's
XPACKGAUGE.LHA and
XPKDOPUS.LHA, XPK compression
w/ progress gauge for Directory Opus
4 and 5 respectively. Finally, XPKDT-
l.OB.LHA, by Michal Letowski, is an
XPK datatype.
XPK in itself does not feature on-
the-fly compression /expansion, but
there are several companion programs
which fit the bill nicely. XFH, by
Kristian Nielsen, (XFH1_38.LHA,
freeware) is what I use, and is an
extremely useful and stable program.
XFH also includes a commodity to
control compression, written by Nicola
Salmoria. XFH allows on-the-fly
compression and decompression of
both directories and partitions. Once
XFH is installed and setup correctly,
you will have access to a new pseudo
drive, a sort of 'evil' twin of the drawer
or partition you chose. If you chose
HDl, you will normally have a drive
named XHDl. Saving a file to HDl
will result in no compression, just as if
XFH were never installed, while a file
saved to XHDl will bo compressed.
See Figure 6 for the XFH commodity.
DeepX (DEEPX12.LHA, freeware)
by Adam Ciarcinski is another XPK
compliant application which takes a
different approach from XFH. Rather
than basing compression /expansion
on a particular partition or directory,
DccpX acts as a sort of front end to
allow any programs to use XPK
compression. For instance, you could
give Personal Paint the abilit}' to load
and save XPK compressed pictures.
See Figure 7, for the DeepX Task setup
Window.
Michael Berg's PowerData has
reappeared, this time with full XPK
support. Power Data Professional
(PDProl_Ob.lha, shareware) is similar
to DeepX in function and usage. (I'd
say more, but 1 can't get the prefs
program to run on my system. I ran it
once, when l first installed it, but now
it just crashes. No doubt some aversion
to my odd system setup.)
Beyond XFH
XFH is useful for most situations,
but what if you want to compress only
the seldom used programs in your C
drawer and leave the more frequently
used ones alone? Since XFH works on
entire directories or partitions, we
need some other option.
Xloadseg, by Christian Schneider,
is a small system patch (included with
the XPK package) which allows
programs, and even some libraries,
drivers etc. to be crunched, then used
as you would normally. When running
a program, or when a program calls
for a library, XLoadseg handles the
decompression (via XPK) and the
program, library, font carries on, all
transparently. Except for a slight delay
38
Amazing Computing
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Concord Computer Solutions
Concord, Ca. 94519
1-888-802-6442 (Order Line)
1-510-680-0143 (Info)
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Be sure to check our Web Site where you
will fmd the latest Amiga Information as
well as our complete catalog.
http ://www.ccompsol. com
You can EMail us at moxley@value.net
or 10357 1.546@compuserve, com.
Hours: Monday - Friday 10 to 6 PDT
Saturday 10 to 5 PDT
Closed Sundays
We accept Visa, Mastercard, Personal
Checks, Money Orders and we do ship
COD. Standard shipping is via Airborne
Express 2nd day service at no extra
charge. UPS, FedEx & USPS shipping is
available, call for shipping rates.
Circle 125 on Reader Service card.
(and n bit more memory used during decompression), the
user is unaware of Xloadseg's actions.
Danger! Danger!
While using XPK and XFH or related utilities to save
HD space u'orks well, there are pitfalls and cautions you
should be aware of. If you have limited RAM, you need to
be careful crunching big files. The Nuke packer, for in-
stance, needs about 200K (in addition to the actual file size)
to de/compress a file, I have used XPK quite successfully on
a stock 2MB Amiga 1200, but XPK really fares better with
more RAM. Also, a faster processor will make XPK less
noticeable.
Be especially careful with the ELZX packer! This
actually packs files using LZX, which means it is fast and
has excellent compression, but also requires a bit more care
than most of the other XPK packers. More importantly, it
appears to have a fatal conflict with Shapeshifter's
PrepareEmul program. After using Shapeshifter, you will
find that files packed with ELZX are inaccessible. Attempt-
ing to unpack these files will corrupt them. Shutting the
power off and then rebooting without PrepareEmul is the
only solution. I lost several files before I figured this one
out.
Using Xloadseg can free up a tremendous amount of
HD space, but not every program, library, font etc will work
with Xloadseg. When you see the amount of space saved, it
is tempting to go nuts and compress everything in sight!
Resist this, start slowly, crunching and testing one file at a
hme. Be particularly careful when compressing libraries,
devices, etc.
In the course of this article, I inadvertently compressed
the XPKMaster.library. DO NOT GO IN THERE! .Next time
I booted up, my Amiga came to a grinding halt. UH OH. In
order to run, 1 needed to uncompress XPKMaster.library,
but of course, you need XPKMaster.library to decompress
anything. Well, at least I made a backup!
You can also get in a situation where a file is either
packed or unpacked when it should not be. For instance, if
you copy an XPK packed file to an XFH autocompression
volume, the file will be packed twice, making it unusable.
Always remember which volume is compressing and which
is the standard "Base" drive. This is actually the real heart
of using XFH. For instance, if you use an entire partition,
say HDl, then you will have two drive icons displayed on
the workbench, HDl and XHDl. Savmg a file to HDl wiU
NOT compress tiio file, while saving a file to XHDl will.
With the above caution in mind, XPK, XFH and related
utilities are quite useful for variety of compression uses. On
my system, I have gotten, on average, 50% compression
ratios. That is quite a few megabytes of storage I would not
otherwise have.
•AC*
September 1996
39
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40
Amazing Computing
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The
Amiga
Sale #2
VISUAL INFORMATION SERVICES CORPORATION
Undaunted by a perilous ESCOM bankruptcy, VIScorp
executives flew to Germany, pulled Amiga Tectindogies
from tfie grip of ttie ESCOM tnjstees, and clearty saved
the Amiga platform from certain deatti.
By Don Hicks
Once again, as Amnziug Compuling is
going to press, there are a \'ariet5' of
breaking news stories. One week after
learning that the deal bct^vccn ESCOM and
VIScorp had been settled and would be
signed as soon as it was re\'iewed by each
company's Board of Directors, we learned
that ESCOM was being placed into
bankruptcy.
ESCOM's misfortunes are extremely
bizarre. It appears that ESCOM's losses
were refigured several times and, with each
new computation, ESCOM losses were
VIScorp pro\'ided a press release to the
financial community. The following was
released on July 24, 1996.
VIScorp Gets Amiga
Chicago, IL July 24, 1996
Permission Granted to Distribute without
Alteration
VIScorp Proceeds with Amiga Acquisition
On Thursday, the 18th of July, 1996,
the final contract of purchase was signed
between the bankruptcy trustee solicitor,
Bernhard Hembach, and the president and
CEO of VIScorp, William Buck, with
As the situation at Escom deteriorated, we tiad
to continually re-negotiate our purchiase
contract. We could not speed-up tt^e process.
Bill Buck, CEO, VIScorp
worse than the time before. Meaning that
the figures rcporfed early this year were
innaccurate (even though those figures far
exceeded the losses projected by the
company to its investors in December of
last year). In the end, the banks had no
choice hut to halt ESCOM and attempt to
cON'er the esclating losses with its assets.
As soon as ESCOM was in danger, AC
contacted VIScorp to see if this would effect
the ongoing sale agreed to the iveek before.
VIScorp executives told AC that the sale
v^■as still in progress, but that the ESCOM
bankruptcy would probably stall the
proceedings. After the year of financial
chaos created with the Commodore buyout,
this was one situation that would dismay
and disappoint Amiga users.
However, on July 18 VIScorp was able
to complete the deal and secure Amiga
Technologies. Due to fair trading laws, no
news of this event could be broadcast until
approval of the 'pool of banks' for the entire
remaining inventory and intellectural
property.
Until the 18th of August, 1996, VIScorp
has time to establish the necessary
companies to carrv on with its current
business. In the meantime, the business will
be run with the approval of the bankruptcy
trustee Hembach under the name A.VllGA
Technologies GmbH i.K. From the 19th of
August, 1996, the business will finally be
run under the name, control and ownership
of VIScorp.
VIScorp's CEO On-Llne
On the same day VIScorp CEO, Bill
Buck, released the following open letter to
the Amiga Community.
From Bill Buck, CEO, VIScorp:
1. Escom AG and .Amiga Technologies
GmbH are in bankruptcy and will cease
to exist as corporate entities. VIScoip has
reached an agreement with the Trustee
for the liquidation of these companies
and with the creditors of these
companies for the purchase of "Amiga."
There were at least elei'en different
banks or companies that had claims to
be "owners" of the technology and/or
the inventory. ESCOM had liabilities of
over S250 million. Imagine the confu-
sion...
2. The steps that we had to follow through
the last three months were painstaking.
As the situation at ESCOM deteriorated,
we had to continually re-negotiate our
purchase contract. We could not speed
up the process. Many things we wanted
to begin immediately we have had to
delay. The situation at Amiga and
ESCOM wereextremeh' troubled. This
was in part because of the difficult
financial and management situations at
Amiga and ESCOM, but also because of
how poorly organized the intellectual
properly had been under Commodore.
In the course of the Commodore
bankruptcy many problems developed
that were never repaired.
3. The final (and last of three) purchase
contract was signed on Friday, 19 July.
It cannot be changed; it has been
executed. The intellectual property of
the former Commodore and the
inventory of the former Amiga
Technologies u'ill be owned finally by
VIScorp. The final paperwork will be
completed in the next 30 days. During
this month, VIScorp GmbH will he
registered and Amiga Technologies will
continue to operate temporarilv in
bankruptcy for VIScorp.
4. Petro Tyschtschenko and his staff will
continue to operate from Germany.
Raquel Velasco and Petro
Tyschtschenko will be the new General
Managers of Amiga, to be known as
42 Amaziivg Computing
VIScorp GmbH. Al Duncan, a farmer
General Manager of Commodore wilt
join VIScorp to manage the sales and
distribution of VIScorp and Amiga
products in North America. Petro ^vill
continue to operate from Germany and
manage the existing business. Raquel is
looking for someone from the commu-
nity to manage the re-organization of the
sales and distribution in Europe. Please
contact Raquel if you arc the right person
for this job.
5. The engineering efforts of the former
Amiga Teclinologies and the on-going
engineering of VIScorp will be combined
and professionally managed. We intend
to begin to implement the plans we
outlined in Toulouse very shortly.
6. Piease excuse our lack of communicalion
with the community over the last
months. We were severely restricted
from communicating our activities.
Please resend your emails to any of the
VIScorp staff if they have not been
answered by this letter. We simply could
not answer all the emails.
7. Do not expect miracles from VIScorp,
expect slow, but steady progress. Tliank
you for your continued support.
Best Regards,
Bill Buck
Behind The Story
As in almost e\'erything, what we see
in front of us is onh' a portion of the story.
In exclusive interviews with both Amiga
Technologies' Petro Tyschtschenko and
VlScorp's Bill Buck, AC has been able to
piece some of the story together.
Both men were contacted at their
offices and ivere extremely interested in
getting their information to the Amiga
public. The conditions of the purchase had
required that neither group could discuss
the problems, delays, or expected conclu-
sion of the sale until it was finished. Now
that the announcement that the sale had
been accomplished would be made within
days of our contact, they couid talk.
Petro Tyschtschenko
AC; Has the problem with ESCOM been a
problem for \TScorp?
Petro: ESCOM AG \%'ent into bankruptcy.
They first applied on the second of |uly for
Chapter 11, but then on the 1 5th of July
there was no chance anymore , no
investors, and ESCO.M went into
bankruptcy. So aU the other daughter
companies, because of the legal situation,
also went into bankruptcy. In other v\'ords,
Amiga Technologies GmbH is now in
bankruptcy.
But on the list of June, there was
already a notary approved sales contract
for the intellectual property of Amiga
Technologies GmbH, for all the inventory,
for patents, trademarks and whatever else
was available to VIScorp. VIScorp wanted
to proceed, but the situation was a little
difficult because the properties of the
Amiga Teclmologies were not in one
place. It was in ESCOM AG, it was in the
United Kingdom under ESCOM, it ^vas in
Germany under Amiga Technologies. It
was so complicated that VIScorp applied
for a nev%' contract.
VIScorp negotiated with the bank
because most of the money that ESCOM
owes is to the banks. VIScorp negotiated
with the banks and VIScorp negotiated
with the trustees. After a long round of
negotiations, VIScorp was successful in
making an agreement with the banks and
the trustees to buy the whole essence,
intellectual property, and the inventory
from the liquidators, the trustees.
AC: OK. So once again you ha\'e sur\'ived,
Petro: Yes, I managed because 1 brought
VIScorp In on the whole story and I don't
know whether I should be proud or not,
I'm really very tired of the whole thing.
But I saved the Amiga a second time.
From the liquidators we have 30 days
of transition time. In this 30 days we have
to form the new company which will be
looking for partners u'ho \vould like to
have a license and the rights to produce
the Walker board.
AC: What does this transformation do for
advanced plans like the Power PC?
Petro: 1 really don't know to be honest
because this will be discussed and
coordinated by Mr. Al Duncan at
VIScorp who pre\'iously worked for
Commodore. He w'as recently in
Germany and his project is to coordinate
this «'ith VIScorp. For sure we vvotild
like to improve our 3.1 OS, we would like
to have at the Cologne Fair in mid-
November 4.0.
AC: You are showing a ne\s' operating
system in No^-ember, ^vhen do you think
the actual release date will be?
Petro: We would like to hax'e it at the
Cologne fair, which is the biggest Amiga
fair in the world. There are 70,000
attendees at this fair. The release in
Europe and the US should be at the same
time as the fair. But this will be coordi-
nated by VIScorp. 1 will he making
Amiga wins because of the community. Amiga
doesn't win because of VIScorp. Everybody iias
got to pull the rope in the same direction.
Bill Buck, CEO, VIScorp
VIScorp International or VIScorp GmbH
or whatever.
Also in the US there will have to be a
lot of restructuring of VIScorp to make it
smart from the technical perspective. The
deadline is exactly (our weeks after the
signing of the contract. ViScorp will start
under the VIScorp name a worldwide
business.
In tiic meanivhile, i will continue to
run the business under Amiga Technolo-
gies GmbH in bankruptcy but all the sales
and money that I am producing during
this time belongs to VIScorp. This will be
transferred on the 19th of August from the
bank account of Amiga Technologies, to
the bank account of VIScorp.
I will be the President of VIScorp
GmbH in Germany, and 1 also saved some
of the best people here and received a
contract from \'IScorp and most of them
signed the contract. So w'e will continue
our business in Europe and of course
worldwide under the new mother
company of VIScorp.
AC: Is the Walker a dead project?
Petro: I would not say that. I have a date in
mid-.August to go to Russia, to try and
make a licensing agreement with a
Russian factory to develop the boarding
license.
AC: Meaning that they would produce it
for the Russian consumers?
Petro: Ves. But this is only in the pipeline, it
has not been negotiated so far. We are
licensing agreements in Europe focusing
on this, my distribution, and sales. All the
technical things, the dc\'clopment will be
back in the US or under their control.
AC: You're moving all the development
back to the states,
Petro: Right, because there are a lot of
people like Carl Sassenrath whom 1
respect very much. He de\'eIoped the
operating system of the old Amiga, he was
their engineer, and there are old Commo-
dore people which VIScorp tells me they
would like to mobiliw.
AC: ESCOM went the way you said they
would, they went out of business because
of the PC, not because of the Amiga.
Petro; Right, not because of the Amiga. It is
not my fault that we are in bankruptcy,
because I could survive, I can generate
sales. I am a small group with eleven
people and I can survive on my own.
AC: Are the ESCOM stores closed?
Petro: The ESCOM affiliates are still open
because it is a separate trustee handling
this. They are selling out the product and
geiierating cash foi' the trustee. My
understanding is that there is a group
interested in taking over the shops but 1
think there are a few different parties. I
understand that they've already sold
Czcchoslo\'akia, Hungaria is sold, and
they are negotiating with somebody in the
United Kingdom for the shops and the
German shops to somebody else. So
ESCOM will be di\'ided up into small
September 1996
43
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AC: Can you tell me who the Inrgc licensee
in the US is?
Fetro: Yes, my biggest licensee in the US is
Advanced Technology in Seattle. They are
using this (the Amiga) for medical
products. I'm very optimistic about the
future because as you remember in my
speeches when I mentioned that my dream
is that the Amiga will bo in millions and
millions of households as a TV set top box,
for example. Maybe this dream can now
come true because the technology is not
only good for PCs, it is great for video and
everything connected with the TV.
That's \vhy 1 think we can ha\'e a great
future. ! am crossing my fingers and I am
con\-inced that VlScorp is the best choice for
tWs. They are all Commodore people and
they are people who understand the
technology. We need neu' products and if
they are willing to license the technology to
somebody ^vho is willing to develop on
their own a PowerPC then the Amiga PC is
sdll sur\'iving.
Bill Buck of VlScorp
On July 24, we were able to talk with
VlScorp's CEO in preparation for his formal
announcement about Amiga Technologies.
AC: Congratulations!
VlScorp: Well, you can't imagine what a
disaster the situation ivas. We regret it took
this long to ha\'e anything solid to say even
though we had three different signed
agreements. When they went into bank-
ruptcy we had to deal directly with the
trustees and the nine different banks
invoK'ed. Can you imagine how each one of
those creditors wants something out of this,
not to mention the insurance company and
a few other creditors who will remain
nameless.
It was a very \'ery tense situation. I feel
Raquel Velasco (V.P. of International
Operations for VlScorp) and myself were
negotiating in an ever changing situation.
AC; Was the bankruptcy caused by the
investors or the creditors?
VlScorp: In Germany you have to go into
bankruptcy for either of two reasons: your
net asset \'olume \'alue falls below zero or
because your mone)' going in is less than
your money going out. That's it and boom,
it happened.
We talked to ESCOM about two days
before they went into an interim step to
bankruptcy like Chapter 11, we were on a
plane, we were there, we basically had one
meeting and they went into bankruptcy
that night. The next morning we met with
ESCOM again, two days later we met with
the trustee, and we had meetings with the
banks over the next week, and after we
had been there for three weeks we signed
the agreement with the trustee. It's a great
deal for \'lScorp and we are even allowed
to continue the .'\miga in bankruptcy
because we have to set up German
companies and fulfill all the legal German
requirements to facilitate the transfer out
of bankruptcy.
AC: So, you are Amiga Technologies at this
point.
VlScorp: That's true.
AC: In orie way it is a little early to ask you
what your plans are but in another way
you've had quite a bit of time to think
about this.
VlScorp: Yes, we've had a lot of time to
think and what we've realized is that I had
built the company to do something, we
had a plan and let's just go back to the
plan. I told them 1 would be back and we
could do this. Essentially it's the de\'elop-
ment, and let's stay focused.
We made our announcement about
Emerson in June (on June 27, VlScorp
announced they had granted Emerson the
North and South American exclusive retail
distribution and sales rights to VlScorp's
interacti\'e Internet television set-top
device, the Universal Internet-Television
Interface and the UITI(R)-TV interactive
"smart" tele\'ision set which uses an
enhanced Amiga+ operating system), we
said a little bit in the market about that but
we couldn't make any more announce-
ments until we were done with the Amiga
(sale) because a lot of the components we
needed for that transaction were part of
the Amiga transaction. It's the whole
reason why we got into the Amiga deal in
the first place.
What we are going to do is exactly
what we said and that is to continue the
Amiga computer, there is no doubt about
it. The multimedia things we are going to
do or come out with are the mainstay of
the Amiga and Amiga community and
make things that are already out there
better,
I won't be specific about that yet, but
let's sav something like an accelerator
board that will make things work in a
better way. That's going to lead into the
development of a new A-1000, those are
things that we can do pretty quickly.
Why arc we doing that? Because we
want the (Amiga) development commu-
nity to ha\'e the tools they need to not only
make stuff for the Amiga but to make stuff
for the new Amiga too which happens to
be not only a computer but also a set top
box. In other words in the end, we don't
care what people have, an Amiga
computer or an Amiga set top box, what
we care about is that they go to a
publishing environment based on the
Amiga OS that's distributed through
Internet or some other kind of network
which displays things on TV sets.
What we're talking about is an
enhanced television and that is what we
are gi\'ing licenses for in terms of Emerson
and in terms of other stuff that we are
working on. But all that was delayed
because of the whole process we had to go
through with the Amiga.
AC: You're talking about the advanced TV
and you also said j'ou're keeping the
44
Amazi.\g Computing
Amiga platform itself because you need a
publishing system if nothing else.
VIScorp: Right, unless we think there is a
business in the computer market. Tell me
where you can find a net\\-ork computer
for the performance and capabilities of the
Amiga for the price.
But we didn't know all this stuff in the
beginning. We were guys who were trving
to go out and sla)' the world with a set top
box and boom all of a sudden we had a
chance to buy the Amiga, we didn't know
what we were talking about. We had to sit
down and try to make an analysis of
whether there was an opportunity for us
there that wasn't going to cannibalize
what we had spent the last year and a half
trying to develop. That was my biggest
problem. It took us all tins time to get into
this position, I didn't want to destroy any
opportunity. Some of the community has
been really groat but some of the commu-
Tdty can't see the forest through the trees.
AC: Some of the community is very jaded.
They have been through quite a bit.
VIScorp: Yes, but I'm not oven talking
about being jerked around. I'm talking
about opening your eyes. This isn't about
just selling the computer, this is about an
entire publishing environment that works
with 2 million PCs in the world. This is a
whole different deal than just selling a
computer. This is about a guv becoming a
publisher and having a network that he
can distribute fiis published materials
through that is protected, secure and can
make monev.
It is really, really, renfly enormous. The
thing about the Amiga is it's already wired
into this whole community with the Video
Toaster. We have a little VIScorp Amiga
display in the media pavilion of the
Olympics right now.
We haven't been able to do a lot
because the deal wasn't finalized. We took
a risk with the conference in France, but
were afraid that if we didn't get out and
say something quickly we were going to
lose a lot of the community because wo
knew that they were frustrated and that
ESCOM was having problems but we
didn't know how bad it was going to be.
We had no idea how bad the situation
was.
ESCOM had not done anything with
the intellectual property until the banks
took it as a pledge against some of their
loss. The banks were the ones that actually
organized the process and that was just a
few months ago. There were patents out
all over the place that were going to
expire.
We stopped all that and everything is
okay again but that's what a disaster we
had. Tfie banks owned the intellectual
property for Germany, ESCOM AG
owned it for the rest of the world less
what was sold to the Chinese. The
inventory was partly owned by the banks,
partly owned by creditors, and partly
owned bv the manufacturers. We had to
put it all back in the same basket again.
We think we will be working with
companies such as phaseS and PIOS too.
We're going to do what is best for Amiga
and we think as \ve do that, we will do
u-hat is best for VIScorp and the only wav
to do that is to make sure the intellectual
property is safe and not corrupted and not
being fiddled with by people that should
not be fiddling around with it.
People who want to be part of the
proce.ss and help us build this thing, we'll
have plenty of opportunities for lots of
people and we're going to give them
liberal access to that stuff.
AC: I knoiv you don't have all the answers
right now, but could we talk again in a
few weeks?
VIScorp: Sure. We have done a lot of work
already on new processor strategies. We
figured out how to port this over with an
almost off the shelf product with a little
tweak to three different processors. So we
real I)' feel like we are going to blow this
up alot. It's going to be exciting. We have
some old Commodore people and we'll
ha\'e some personnel announcements in
the next month that are going to rock the
world. People are not going to belie\'e the
software people that are going to come
blowing into VIScorp.
AC: If you could tell the Amiga community
one thing, what would it be?
VIScorp: .'\miga wins because of the
community. Amiga doesn't win because of
VIScorp. Ever}'body has got to pull the
rope in the same direction. We don't think
we're going to be passing up MS DOS
anytime soon in terms of the installed
base.
We think in the TV market evervbody
is at the same spot, the starting line.
Because of the community' and because of
the way they are, because of \^'hat they
believe in, and because of all the other
stuff about Amiga, wo believe we can win
that race. If we ivin that race, that creates a
lot of opportunity for people familiar with
the Amiga system.
AC: What can Amazing Computing do to
help you?
VIScorp: Tell us when we make a mistake
or say the wrong thing. Help us find the
right ideas. Help us talk to the right
people, the people that are really
committed to this thing.
We're a public company, we can create
opportunities for people, financially,
personally, professionally, strategically or
the companies thav are involved ivith.
There's a big chance here. I don't want to
sound too philosophical but for me this is
freedom for people to access information
through their television set. It's the really
cheap computer that no one ever brought
to the marketplace.
My objective is to set up a ne^v kind of
T\' network. We distribute programs to
people one user at a time. It's not a
broadcast it's a narrowcast. Somebody has
their interactive TV, they go online they
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get something they want to do, in the
beginning it's a regular game that already
exists.
As time goes on, you can take that,
you can repurpose it for multiple users
and you can have a guy playing another
guy from Nottingham to Dos Moines
through the internet. Maybe it'.s a way for
a little guy in Mississippi who couldn't
buy a computer, but he can get a TV that
costs around S500.
AC; In conclusion, your understanding of
the market is that you are going to keep
everything in place now worldwide, right?
VIScorp: Absolutely. Well let's just say we
are going to tr)' to improve what is out
there right now. Petro has done a good job
in selling A1200s in Germany but we don't
sec anything else being sold in any large
quantities in other places. So we arc going
to try and get that going a little bit better
and we are going to try and improve the
computer a little bit with new processors
and other new options let's say. We're
going to have an immediate solution for
the A4001) and then we will have our own
product.
Raquol will be responsible for
reorganizing the Amiga efforts. She will be
working with our engineering and
financial staff here in the US to make that
happen. She has international business
credentials and we believe, as a European
citizen, she is going to bo helpful to
VIScorp and the Amiga community.
Follow Up
In our conversation with Mr. Buck, we
continually mentioned the need for
feedback. If you have a suggestion, tip, or
other communication, you can contact him:
by mail at VIScorp, 111 North Canal St.,
Suite 933, Chicago, IL 606O6, email
(buck@vistv.com), or by FAX at
312.655.0910, Raquel Velascocan also be
contacted at the above address or by email
(raquel@vistv.com). 'AC*
September 1996 45
yD wit^i Ih'^ Lot^
/J/nazm^ ahiga
Volume 10, Number 11; November 1995
ShapeShifter 3,1, Find oul whether or not the
Macintosh and the Amiga cars find peace at
S40, as the powerful shareware product
permits the Amiga to run Mac software, by
Marc Hoffman.
TrueBrilliance, Discover the secrets and fun of
creating your own universe with Brilliance,
and learn how to creatively produce a star
background and populate it with your own
heavenly bodies, by R. Shamms Mortier.
CheslNet, Can the Amiga be programmed to
recogni/e disease and more from X-rays?
Listen to the Amiga's favorite radiologist as he
describes his specialized program, by Mchael
Tobin, M.D.
Online, A continued exploration of the Amiga
on the Intemel by discussing newsgroups and
the advantage of telnet, by Rob Hays.
FinaiCalc, Looking for a spreadsheet program
for the Amiga? See if FinaiCalc offers you a
few new opportunities, by Merrill Colla^vav-
Family Connections, Turn those family stories
and ancestral history into a genealogical
database of your family. This specialized
database should lead you on a merry climb
through your family tree, reviewed by
Shamms Mortier.
And Furthermore..., Ever wish you could
design the Amiga of your dreams? Amiga
artist, Dave Matthews has already created his.
Take a kxik at his renderings and then apply
vour own artistic talents to the challenge.
Labyrinth, With outstanding grapliics, and
exceptional soundtrack, as well as a good
story, some mav think Labyrinth should be
praised higher than its moist cousin, re\'iewed
by Jason D'Aprile.
Volume 10, Number 12; December 1995
New Products & Other neat stuff, Amiga
Technologies announces a new monitor, a
modular Screensaver called Aurora, XiPaint
v3.2 and TurboCalc V2.1 from GTl GmbH,
Nova De,sign's ImageFX 2.1 a upgrade, and
much more!
Mand 2000: The Fires of Chaos, Mand 2000 is
a newly released CD-ROM version of Cygnus
Software's Mandlebrot-based fractal picture
generating software, by Shamms Mother.
Persistence of Vision Ray Tracer, Persistence
of Vision Ray Tracer (POV) is a powerful 3D
artist's tool capable of creating stunning
imagery, and it's free! By Dave Matthews.
Directory OPUS VS.ll, What possible
improvements could have been put into this
already best of all directory utilities? Find out
who should and should nut use this latest
version, reviewed by Merrill Callaway.
Altering Photos in PhotoGcnics, Tour some of
the special effects of this image manipulation
package and discover if you should add it to
your other Amiga gj-apliics tools, by Shamms
Mortier.
Online, Hxplore how telnet can be used to
augment the services available from your
internet provider, by Rob Hays.
And Furthennore.,.,On Thursday, No^'ember
2, 1995, PetroTyschtschcnko, of .'\miga
Technologies, ga\'e a speech in L.A., to a group
of Amiga enthusiasts and journalists. Here's
what he had to say.
3 Sci-fi 3D Animated Adventures, If you are a
science-fiction fan, check out the following
game titles: DarkSeed by Cyberdreams,
Beneath a Steel Sky by Virgin, and Universe by
Core Design, reviewed by Jason D'Aprile.
Volume 11, Number 1; January 1996
New Products & other neat stuff. Catch the
latest CD collections with games, utilities,
demos, samples, and other shareware items, a
new video magazine on video, a new start-up
Amiga developer and more.
MacroForm; Power Modeling in Lightwave
3D, MacroForm makes your modeling life
easier, because, with just a tap of one key, you
can access modeling tools that are either new
to LighlWave or expand upon its creative
options.
ImageFX Magic, Apply a little "White Magic"
to some of your graphics and enjoy a world of
difference, bv Shamms Mortier.
Online, Travel the Internet with MUCK,
MUD, and MUSEs while learning what to
expect from main service providers, by Rob
Hays.
Physics Lab in Mechanics, The Amiga has an
educational reference on Physics that is a must
for programmers, videngraphers, and
students, by Shamms Mortier.
Welcome to My Studio: A Personal Studio
Overview, Can four Amigas of various
vintages find hope, happiness, and enrichment
witli a Pentium and a Power Mac? By Shamms
Mortier.
Amiga Dealer Yellow Pages, Where have all
(he dealers gone? Check out this latest list of
approved Amiga dealers from SMC, the new
Amiga dishributor for North America.
Simple Slat Graph, Statistics on the Amiga do
not need to be hard or uninspiring with this
detailed package by a one-man Amiga
developer. By Shamms' Mortier.
Volume n. Number 2; February 1996
New Products & Other neat stuff, Amiga
Tecfmologies readies the release of the AMIGA
Surfer for internet users, AT opens a new
know-all web site, Tangent Music releases a
special CD in honor of the Amiga, Persistence
of Vision Ray Tracer is about to be released in
version 3.0, and more.
Cinema 4D, Cinema 4D has landed on the
American shores with a very deep and full-
featured art and animation environment,
reviewed by Shamms Mortier.
New FX in PageStream 3, Add new functions
to PageStream with an array of now plug-in
effects, reviewed by Shamms Mortier,
SnapMaps, Save time and effort as well as
improve your images with plug-ins for your
fa\'oritc graphics programs, reviewed by
Shanmis Mortier.
Moving from C to C++, Upgrade some of
your best C programs to C++ with ease,
reviewed by Randy Fincli.
On-Line, AMosaicl.2, MUI, AmiTCP/IP,
Mlink, ppp.device, and iNTERJNSTALL are all
important Internet tools — discover what they
are and where to find them, by Kob Hays.
New Amiga Web Site from Amiga
Technologies, Connect directly with the
Amiga team in Germany through AT's new
internet address.
^iJz/ng^wucA
^-w
Volume 11, Number 3; March 1996
New Products & Other neat stuff, TelevEyes/
Plus from CeV Design, a new Amiga SX, a
CDROM just for A12UO/A4000 owners, a CD-
ROM of commercial titles, all Kara Fonts on
one CD ROM, plus a new Web site from
MegagoM,
PC-TASK, A software utijity to run PC
software on an Amiga. Tlie Amiga OS is still
superior in numerous ivays but we are still
required to deal with the MSDOS computing
community, reviewed by Marc Hoffman,
ScapeMaker 4.0, Combine the power of
Digital Elevation Models from Vista Pro with
the abilities of other programs to create your
own 3D virtual worlds, reviewed by Shamms
Mortier.
On-Line, Putting AMosaic to work on the
World Wide Web, learning protocols,
searching the hot new web sites, hints and tips.
and more in this month's column, by Rob
Hays.
Creating Candle Flames witli Imagemaster
and Aladdin 4D, Imagemaster is a program
that has a durable history of innovative image
processing techniques.
Amiga in Business: Easy Ledgers, The debut
of this itew column features a re\'iew of an
accounting package that would make any
bean counter look twice.
North American Amiga Dealer List, Check
the current list of .\miga specialists and
dealers in this issue.
Persona! Commentary; What Trees do they
Plant? Shamms Mortier asks us to do more
than use our computers — make a difference.
VOLUME 11,4; APRIL 1996
New Products & Other neat stuff. New
Productivity CDs, Specialized Speech Utilities,
A New Amiga Game Company, and more.
Amiga Atlanta Inc., Amiga Atlanta Inc.
celebrated its 10th anniversar)' with a celebrity
banqueL Discover how this Amiga users
group attracted attention from Amiga
notables, television celebrities, and the
Governor.
Creating Artwork with ImageFX, Alter your
photographic images so they appear as ii they
were created by the hand of a master artist
and not the camera, re\'iewed by Shamms
Mortier.
Cinema 4D Object Sculpting Techniques,
Explore object sculpting and creation options,
how they work, and the unique objects that
they can provide, re\'iewed by Shanmis
Mortier.
Web Typesetting Part 1; Introduction,
Discover the tools available on other platforms
and what you can do with your Amiga to
begin creating Web pages on the Internet, by
Randy Finch.
Termite 1.1, Has Oregon Research created the
ultimate Amiga telecommunications program
or have they just come close? b)' Rob Hays.
On-Linc, Comparati\'e shopping for the best
on-line ser\'ices with cautions, by Rob Hays.
Peiro Tyschtschenko, ESCOM announces
record losses. Amiga Technologies changes
distribution structure. One man is in the
center of all this activity to keep Amiga strong,
spend and afternoon with AT's top exec.
Hot Amiga Web Sites, From Eric Shwarlz's
animations and graphics to web information
guides, cheek out what other Amiga users are
doing on the internet.
Wliis^
VOLUME 11.5; MAY 1996
New Products & Other neat stuff. Nova
Design acquires Aladdin iD, SofTalk
Programmer kit available, 'Professional' 3D
glasses, and much more.
DPaint Tiled Backdrops, Creating 3D space in
a 2D environment. Among its specialized
features, DPaint has intuitive tools for creating
perspective tiles, Learn how to utilize one of
the hidden talents of the Amiga's well known
paint program, by R. Shamms Mortier.
A Truly Brilliant Idea! TrueBrilliance's
capacity to address and incorporate
ANlMbrushes gives it another plus as a tool
for the creation of digital artwork on the
Aniiga, hy R. Shamms Mortier.
On-Line, Amiga multitasking advantages and
three new Web programs; AmiTCP/lP,
IBrowse, and AWeb. Learn how to maximize
the best feature of the Amiga while you are
working on-iine, by Rob Hays.
This Old Workbench Episode One, Tired of a
lackluster performance from your current
Amiga WorkBench? Tr)' the teetmiques and
programs in Dave's new series, by Dave
Matthews.
Web Typesetting Part 2; Basics, Creating a
Home Page with yoiu Amiga requires a little
knowledge of the intricacies of HTM L, by
Randy Pinch.
An Interview with QuikPak's David
Ziembicki, Amiga Technologies has selected a
new sales organizaHon for the Amiga in North
America. Meet the person chiefly responsible
for marketing the Amiga as well as developing
future Amiga markets on these shores in this
AC Exclusi\'e.
Web Warning! The same Home Page can yield
decidedly different results. Start creating a
Web page with the Arruga that everyone will
be able to read.
VOLUME 11.6; JUNE 1996
New Products & Other neat stuff, Amiga
Internet Starter Package for Canada, Persona!
Paint for the Internet, new Sample Wrench
Sound Editor, fi\'e new CD's from GT! GmbH,
and more.
NAB '96, The National Association of
Broadcasters held their annual event in Las
Vegas, but the Amiga is siowly disappearing
from the show floor, by Don Hicks.
Travel Through the Digital Universe, Learn
about people, astronomy, spacecraft,
astronomical terms, constellations and stars
through this CAL (Computer Assisted
Learning) program from SYZYGY Research
and Technology, Ltd., by R. Shamms Mortier.
DPaint Morphing, Although not as advanced
or controllable as the high-priced morphing
programs, DPaint offers .Amiga users unique
and exciting alternatives in their morphs, by R.
Shamms Mortier.
On-Line, Use client programs to bypass
obstructions and ease your way on the
Internet, as two shareware programs, Gui-FTP
and WebMaker, are discussed, by Rob Hays.
This Old Workbench Episode Two, The
Workbench as art: personalize your work area
with backdrops, icons, and menus. In this
episode is covered the GUI aspects of
Workbench renovation, by Dave Matthews.
VIScorp Buys Amiga Technologies, VIScorp
is purchasing Amiga Technologies and will be
working with Amiga interests all over the
world. Read what the executives of this
Chicago firm have had to say so far to the
Amiga community.
Web Typesetting Part 3; More Basics, Your
home page is only a few keystrokes avvay with
these HTML code samples in your documents,
b)' Randy Finch.
VOLUME 11.7; July 1996
New Products & Other neat stuff, GVP has a
new home, Amicojn introduces a new web
installer. Blitz Basic is back, Paxtron has
Amiga parts, Shamms Mortier introduces
Grafx Tidbits, and more.
Non-linear Video on a Budget; V-Lab Motion
& Movieshop 3.2, Can't afford the high priced
\'ideo systems for non-linear editing? The
answer may be tlie V-Lab Motion and its new
Movieshop 3.2 soft^vare, by John P. Jackman.
Fun with Lyapunovs, Create 3D environmen-
tal terrain models from the chaotic graphics of
Lyapunov space. They are a class of fractal
associated algorithms used to visualize a
specific condition of fractal space, by R.
Shamms Mortier.
Amazing Symmetry, Textured tiles are
extremely easy to create and offer the digital
ardst a few very interesting opportunities.
This tool, embedded in DPaint, will help in
your obsession to find newer and unique
textures, by R. Shamms Mortier.
On Line, Tra\'el the internet with the newest
Amiga browser. Voyager 1.0, and discover
more excellent Amiga web sites, by Rob Hays.
JAZZ.BIT 96, Why is a major computer art
competition held in Finland? An interview
with Martin Keitel, the arts manager of
JAZZ.BIT 96, interviewed by Marc R.
Hoffman.
Amiga Wars, There is a battle for the Amiga
user raging on the internet between old and
new Amiga firms and a feiv others. For a
system many have tried to write off, the
Amiga is attracting a lot of interest,
Web Typesetting Part 4: Publishing &
Tables, How to get your beautiful Home Page
on the Web for tlie world to see. Also, delve
Into one of the most popular additions to the
HTML 3.0 standard known as tables wiiich
allow data on a Web page to be structured in a
row and column format.
*1
With Amazing* the
reader is always
number 1 .
Make Do With What You Got
In art or in life, it Is not always
tiow much you tiave, but what
you do with it.
by R. Shmmns Mortier
This is a story about being creati\'e,
and also about not giving up. It's about
using the tools at your disposal and
pusliing them to the limit, ft all started
when I received a letter from Bob Eckertt,
an artist who lives in Niagara Falls,
Canada. He picked up an out of date
edition of Caligari, and wanted to know
if Amazing could run some caligari
specific tutorials. Mv response was that
Caligari was so outdated at this point
that running tutorials on it wouldn't
benefit too many folks, so it couldn't be
justified.
Bob, like most everyone else, exists
on a limited budget, so upgrading to
something else is not an option. Bob is
not a novice when it comes to the
creation of art. He has spent most of his
life as an exhibit/wax museum designer,
and produced a large number of wax
images throughout the years. Physical
problems forced him to change direc-
tions, and he decided to take his creative
talent and energy and apply them to
computer graphics through the Amiga.
Bob's Amiga creations are limited to
sixteen color graphics and animations on
his 030 Amiga 3000. Ho savs, "1 have
found that if a person learns and uses a
few tricky methods, very pleasing results
can be produced, even with a somewhat
limited Amiga system".
Bob is working on a ten-minute
video that he hopes will teach children
some "street smarts" so necessary in
today's world. Each narrated scene is
introduced by an animated owl. He will
supplv the finished tapes to interested
groups for the cost of the videotape
alone. Also included will be a coloring
book, created from black and white
versions of the illustrations in the
animations. He hopes to convince the
Crayola company to kick in some
crayons.
Another project Bob's planning is to
design low-cost kiosks using the Amiga
500 as the multimedia engine. He has
scrounged up three 5O0's so far, and is
looking for extra chip RAM and monitors
to complete the preparations (anyone out
there with these parts, contact Mr.
Eckertt at the phone number given at the
end of the article).
Instead of relying on expenBi\'e
touch screens, Bob's going to wire
function ke\'s to an illuminated keypad
COMPUTIR
PSALE
!U1 makes and models!
Includes liincb monitor!
Figure 1. Bob's graphics make the best
use possible of the Amiga 3O00's
capacities.
on the exterior cabinet. The numbered
keys will correspond to numbered icons
for the interactive presentations. If all
goes well, he hopes to engender enough
funds to purchase an Amiga 4000 to
continue his animation work. He's
looking forward to working in ACA
modes in tiie futLire if the fates are
willing.
Bob's artwork, at the moment,
utilizes a vintage DigiVieiv scanner and
an Alpha Data hand scanner with which
he scans in his pencil sketches. He has
discovered ditliering methods that create
the illusion that he is working in many
more colors than the sixteen he is really
limited to.
Bob is a person that represents the
best the Amiga community' has to offer.
Someone v\'ho is using fiis creative skills
to help others, bypassing his own needs
to give the best of himself. If you ha\'e
some vintage Amiga equipment
gathering dust in a corner, you might
consider Mr. Eckertt's situation. I know
he would appreciate hearing from you.
His story teaches us a lot about what the
creative experience is all about. He says
his mother gave him the best advice
possible, "make do with what you got". I
really love Amiga people.
Figure 2. In these frames from a Brilliance animation, two
pigs are captured In animated conversation.
Contact: Bob Eckertt
(905) 356-8394
•AC*
48
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PaXlron is North America's largest wholesale supplier of Amiga replacement and
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8375-B I2MBI (AJOOO) 31G069-a3 $25,S0
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Gary 5719 A500'A2000 $10.95
Buster S72I (A20001 $1 4.95
68000- BM Hz CPU „ S11.50
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68 030- RC 50 PGA- $84.50
68832-25 PGA , , , $24.95
Western Digilal SCSI chip 8A $27.50
Video Hybrid ■ (A500 390229-03) S9-95
GVP Upgrade Cliip Spnes II $3495
6570-01 (71) (315107-01) Koyljoard IC $14,95
SURFACE MOUNTED DEVICES
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8520 PLCC O107S-02) $19.50
Amber (3905^-03) $24.50
DMAC 4 (390537^)4).. $29.96
Lisa (39 1227-0 1 ) $24.50
Ramsey (iev4| 390544-04 S19-95
Ramsey (rev. 7) (390541-07) $29.95
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6571 KeytMatd Chip (391079-01) 414,50
657M36 KeylKiard Chip (328191-02) il4.95
Paula 8354 (391077-01) .$27.95
Gary (390 S40-D2) $32.95
Super Busier Rev. 1 1 (390539-11)- $29.95
MOTHERBOARDS (Factory New)
CD32 (ho RAM mesnar>) $89. =5
C32 sompiele with RAWlesled S109.S5
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A3000{16MMI) $299.95
A3000 (25MH!) $359.95
A30(»T (Tower) 25MHI $369 95
A403O (limited quanhty) CALL
C64 (refurbished, leslaj ail Slips) $29.95
C64 untested, all chips clearance 2r$25 O)
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C123 $49.95
01280 $69.95
1S41 II 517.95
1541 Alps (15000401) $17.95
1571 Newuonira (310420-01) 517.95
PCIOMIII $23.00
AMIGA FLOPPY DRIVES (FactOlY New)
A1010/11 eniemal 3 S Orr/e 54995
High Dens. Ext floppy lor all Amjgas 51 14.95
A60IV12I)0 Internal BBOk $59.95
A500 Internal saok „ ..$38.95
A20OO internal 880k $49 9S
A3000 Internal 880k $49.95
A400O Internal SflOk $49.95
CD32 Replacement CD mechanism ,.$39-96
Hard Dnve 40MB SCSI 2C $57.50
Haul Dnve 40MB IDE 2 i' ^ ..$5750
GVP SCSI Controller 4008 OK $1 44.50
1S4I (refurbished) $44.50
1541 II External (crMnplele package) $69.95
1571 (limited quantity) $89 95
POWER SUPPLIES (Fairtofy New)
A5C0 $38.95
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A1200 110 vote $38,95
CD32 Original / Facloiy ( 1 10 volte) $21 .95
C032 Original / Faclory (220 voils) S149S
C032BI5 Foot (2(X1 Wan) MraoRD $74,50
A2000 110;?20V inlemal onnrnal $89,95
A20O0 Big Fool (300 Wall] Micro OD $144,50
A3000 internal (1 10220 vollsl S9995
A3000 Bng Fool (330 walls) Micro R'Ll 5144 50
A3000 Tower 5124,00
A4000 internal (110 volts) 5119,00
A40OO int 300 Walt Big Foot (exchange) $163 95
1 0HS Ptiiilips Flyback Translormei only $34 95
1084-Dl Philiips-Daewoo Pyl:ack only 534.50
1 0S4-D2 Daewoo Flyback Transformer only $34.50
1084S new Mothettjoard/FlyOack see below
1064S power supply t»ard(felujhEtied) $29 95
C64 nonrepairat>le 514.95
C64 repairable , $19 95
C64 5.2 amp Heavy Duty (also 17S0 BEU) S39 95
C65 220 Volts $12,50
C65 110 Volt $21,95
C128D internal , $24.95
C12B external 5.2 ampa,... $39.95
1541 IflSSl (iimited quanljtyj $8.50
KEYBOARDS (Factory New)
C64 517,95
C65 (Special Keyboard) $19.95
ASOO (lin^led quantity} $39.95
A600 $26,60
C12eD (limited quanDly) $24.95
A1200 $34.95
A2000 - „ $69.95
A3O0O „ ^ --$69.95
A4000 $69 95
CDTVBtock $52.95
CD32 Black 539.95
SXl $39 95
Amiga compalitJe 'AT keyboards' see bekiw
A2000 keyboard atlaplor to A4000 $8.95
A4000 keyboard adapter to A2000 $8.95
6570-01 (71) 1315107-01) Keyboard- IC 514 95
ADD ON BOARDS (Factory New)
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2091 Hard Disk Controller OK now ROM 589.95
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Amiga CDTV -.. ,.,..„ $15.95
Amiga A12(X) mouse port replacemflnt kil £7.95
CD32 controller $11.75
DIAGNOSTICS
A500A2C0Q Emergency Start-up Kit SEE BEtOW
Amiga Techlopics (anliie library) , CALL
A<fvanr;ed Amiga Analyzer (see below) 559.95
Final Tesl diagnoslic disk by Amiga 57.95
Amiga Troubleshooting Guide 57.95
Commodore Diagnostician II .,...,... ,. S6.95
064/126 Dead Tosl carlndge/manual $19.95
C64112B Diag, cartndgaTno cable 524.75
SerMce Manuals SEE BELOW
CLEARANCE SALE
SXl EKpansion Module lor CD32 $199.95
A600 Complete Compuier Syslem-WO $219 95
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VGA 15 -23 pin RGB Adapter (39C682-01) $19,95
AE20 (New) Video ModuiaKji
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Monitor Cables - 10 DifleienI types CALL
C54 untested molherboaid'ali chips 2 for $25,00
CI28uh!estedmotheftjoaids'a)l clips S24 9S
Monitors: 1084$, 1950. 1802. etc CALL
Commodoie PC10,'20molherboard S23 00
PC power supply - ..„„.. .$24 00
CDTV modulator -.._..„„.,.„..„ 52 95
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ASOO power supply (used) 220 volts 519.95
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Sony QD6I 50 dala cartndg^ $9.00
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invenloiy ol chips, parts and manuals from Service Management
Group (SMG). SMG was the authorized distributor foi Amiyn
Technologies in North America. Our inventory has increased
substantially and our prices have been lowered. We also welcome
deolers and service centers to submit their letterhead for the latest
deoler pricing. This page is only a partial list of the products we sell
A complete diognosHc hardwar.5 and software onolyzer (uses point and click software
interioce.) The analyzer cable piugi into ali Amiga ports simultaneously and through
sophisticated software, displays 8 screens to work from. Shows status of dato ports, memory
jbuFler] checl^er, system conftguration and outo test. Reads diagnostic status of any
read/write errors from track to ttock 79. Softwote Qytomatically tells what errors are four^d
ar\d the chips/componer^ts resporvsible. 85 to 90% of the problems presented to service
centers are found with this analyzer. Saves you fots of money on repairs and no end user or
repair shop can oHord to be without one. Don't be fooled by its low cost. 5imply plug in
cables Iroir the oi^olyzer box. Th s diagnostic tool is used by end usees ond ^~^~~
Amiga repair cenJefS worldwide and is the only one of its kind. Over
1 1,000 sold. New /ow pnce
NEWL Y RELEASED ITEMS
Commodore GmbH Germany. Commodore Phillipines (manufacturing) and Commodore U.K. Ltd.. has liquidated ttieir entire Amiga inventory. A steable amount
of ttiat inventory was purchased directly by Paxtron U.S. We also are receiving a sizable amount of hardware from Commodore subcontractors.
Also included is the entire stock of cfiips and parts from Service h/lanagement Group (SMG).
Complete inventory of original service manuals iust received from SMG;
ASOO; A500+, 590. A1000. 1230pnnler, 1B02. 1902, 1902A. 1934 (photocopy). 2002. 2091 . 2300,
CDTV, 1551,065,2630 ■.•,.■„„„„■ !.!,™
A500schemalics A600. 1084S. 1084S-DI. 10B4ST (photocopy). 1936A, 1960, A2000 ...524.00
A12O0,A30O0,A300OT.A'l000,CD32 S39.95
10B4S MOTHEBBOAHD WITH BUILT IN FLYBACK TRANSFORMER ■ This new board will Cure
90 percent ol 1 0S4S monilor problems Simply swilch the mclherboafd and your monilof problems
are solved! Th.s motherboard with Ihe flyback lactory mounted is the axaci replacement and imjiJs
with all 1084S monitors. It's easy 1o inslall S74.50
AMIGA MOMITOHS We have a large supply of relutbished 1084(8), 1930, 1930. 1802, 1702
monilors. elc, (eg. 10B4S ■ S179.00 and 1950 mullisync— 5329,95]
ASOO MOTHERBOARD COMPLETE ■ Rev.3/1 968. New Indudes all chips. Use as a spare or for
parts- 579,00 value (save 520.00) Fihll P"=e S59.95
AMIGA COMPATIBLE KEYBOARDS - Just released Irom Germany. KB100 is a sophislicated little
adapter box for use with AT IBM keyboards. Ulillie the KB 1 00 on your A5W)/A2OOO/A3Q0O/A4000.
(A500/A1200 require soldering) ■-■-■ • . -■ '.U Inn.
On Sept. 1 tha KBIOO wilt be available built in lo ihe IBM keyboard, again with loo.o
compatibility • Sd9.95
■ A500,'A200.D EMERGENCY DIAGNOSTICREPAIR KiT (Sparepafls of the luture). Each kit conlains
8372 Agnus, (2) B520 CIA, 8364 Paula. 5719 Gary. 8362 Dentso, 2.04 0/S Rom. pico fuse, Bumdy
PLCC chip puiler. Amiga Troubleshooting Guide. Final Tesl disk. All chips are new and plug into
sockets on Ihe molherboard. A S1S9.00 value (save S59.Q01 599.95
• CD32 MOTHERBOARD - NTSC'NEW with RAM memory, all chips (3.1 0/S) $109.95
CD32 - samo as above, ali chips, no HAM I??'3^
CD32 MOTHERBOARD - PAL/NEW with RAM. ali chips S99.95
CD32 REPLACEMENT CD MECHANISM -New, same unil usad in 60% of all CDs S39.95
• A501 original CBM 512KB Msmoiv Expansion Card with dock, calendar/battery for ASOO. In
original box instructions and wan-anty , $17.50
■ A520 Video Modulator Adapter Kit with cables and tnstruciions (NTSC). Run any Amiga on your
lelBvision 512 50
• ASOO COMPUTER with power supply and latest chips (eg: 8372 Agnus, 2.04 0/S}. Includes your
ctiQice ol the loliowing software/books: Sianer Kil, Discover Kil (inc. Kind Words. Deluxe Painl 11)
or Deluxe Kit S1 19.95
. A120O MOTHERBOARD ■ NTSC (3.0 0/S). new/tested' all ICs l^^^l-
A12O0 MOTHERBOARD - PAL (3.0 0/S), new/tesled/ all ICs S279.90
Wk J 28 Grove Street, Spring Valley, NY 10977
1^^ VTPfin 914-578-6522 ■ 800-815-3241 800-595-5534 - 888 PAXTRON • FAX 914-624-3239
r CIA M U 1 1 Hours; 9-5 pm EST ■ Ada Se.OO UPS Charges • MCWISA • Prices sublecl to change
; 9-5 pm EST ■ Ada Se.OO UPS Charges • MCATISA • Prices sublecl to change
WE SHIP WORLOWIDEI
Circle 123 on Reader Service card.
'FX features include: Image Processing - Hundreds of tools for enhancing, filtering, or restoring your images.
temat Conversion - Supports reading and writing dozens of file formats from numerous professional platforms
Ite Amiga PC Mac and SGI. Computer Video: "Holy &ow!". WYSIWYG - Interactive preView screen shows
^■^-£1 changes in realtime on ImageFX™. Region Controls - Limit processing to regions with definable soft
I or Painting - Traditional painting tools are available in full 24-bit color. CU Amiga - "Tlye, king of Amiga
a." Image Rendering - Advanced rendering and dithering aigorithms for generating colormapped images
Iplications. Multiple Level Undo- Limited only by your available memory. Amazing Computing: 'The
hpgrade that any Amiga image processing program lias gone through in years. ...ImageFX lias become
'%" Virtual Memory - Use your hard drive to work on images of arty size, including video, film and
ker Groups - call us for information on special discounts! Batch Processing - Perform effects on
~es of frames using AutoFX and IMP utilities. Arexx - Hundreds of Arexx commands allow for
P^t^ Dozens of sample scripts included. Even automatically record your own for batch
MinrffttxFormat: "..a system that is actually aimed at professional artists and designers. Rated
' KD. Configurability - Define hot keys to perform frequent tasks, or change the menus to suit
Bpduiar Design - Open-ended architecture allows for future expansion by Nova Design or third
information is available at no charge. Amig
It^ iMtlj Dowerfui and easy to control. ...ImageFi
hinc ■ ■ ■ ■ ■— ■
chaije.
vp help sys
Newtek Vif Toas y jiiil
Loading ana saving irom '
Video Toaster, Retina, riua:
compatiWe tjardware such^s fhe i
graphics sofWare. Microjimes: l"ioo co
the surfaces^ ImageFX ia^a must-have -ti
Hewlett PacKard ScanJet Series II, Shaip jaiui
and Framegrabber 256. Printers - Any Work,
support for the Fargo Primera and PrimeraPro
media such as Airbrush, Charcoals, Chalk Oil
and more using ImageFX's dedicated tools »r clmpo,
image rotation and 3D perspective rotation a^d iiKire. TV Technoi
well become the required software for all Atfiga jsers. " PaintFX'^'*" ■
video sequence into Art! Image scaling ahd popping - Automatical.,
size. NTSC and PAL video filters - can autoi^aticalfy color correct for vf
generator can create lightning, electric arcs and more! Amiga Computii
of a masterstroKe." Blue/Green Screen Composites - Using Cinemat^*'^ yo
screen composites and maintain your color integrity for foreground andpackgroi
am in deep awe of (ImageFX's) PaintFX. Yes indeed, I do want to fav& its c,
laytraced spheres. Made in the USA. Lens Flares - Advanced ten! flare gene',
designed flares. Image warps - Warp an image or add distortion fens*ffects. Spc_
combinations of effects you can achieve using the provided speciayCffects. .Minimunn
Swirls and Twirls, Canvas and Paper textures. Relief maps, Water /nd Glass distortti"
available - A comprehensive video tutorial that guides you through image pr^
upgrade information call 1-800-IMAGE-69 (804-282-1157). Print Support - Use the bi
CMYK color separations for your professional printing needs. Video Toaster User: "You
ten -ition -
h?l supplies
f .-3i<ji I (^a^^ to provide
}g thrj kinc^ftth^^^ntain. the
'% - J^ji^^"" .o^^^st Buy"
,,j . 'irpriiy intr tjve on the " laster i: Flyer™.
snap! Graphic Boards - Suppoas all Aniiga modes,
... uo r^ i^aii ffniiin Firecracker, DCTV, HAM-E, all EGS-
nd supports lhej"iev i.Cyber fli:3phx 24-bit retargetabje
much in tiTS>^i^^i<Sge'tfiSn^!(e^i!y hadsjSace to barely scratch
j/a -^rs." \scanners - 'Epson 300/600/800 and 1000/1200.
'rs - iv\4„ V[AR YC framegrabber, PP&S Framegrabber
. ies-compatibieyrinter, PostScript printers, and full color
^/ideg,^oaste>i-Mser: "...it outshines everything else
p'ratfonn." RealnH»€^-pamfe(5 - Emulate traditional
^ g Markers, WaieBcolors>Jirayons and dozens oi
peciaj Effects ano painting u|tng-<egions and the
g/Fractal Painter for the Anvga vKtee- " "
Bn, Advancecl Compositing - Creal
mattes.f Image Rotation - Cortiplejh
FX isjan outstanding program that m _
h\n r^fojnting generator can turn a film or
scale images to any
xealistic lightning bolt
optical qualitV blue and green
Its. Just An^ Monthly: "I
fpherize - Map. images onto
Id preset flares or custom
S - There are hundreds of
luch much niuic; iwyw
■( ImageFX 2.0. For
■ for RGB, CMY and
'(. Peried."
NOVA DESIGN, INC.
1910Byrd Avenue, Suite 214 - Richmond, VA 2323
Phone: (804) 282-5868 - Fax: (804) 282-3768 - Customer Support:\ (804) 282-652;
Clrete 106 on Reader Service cant
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